Let's Just Get This out There Now
Lest there be any confusion, I will be pulling for Duke should they face the Gophers in the second round. Sorry, Chuck and Joyce. Kudos to Tubby and the team on making the tourney, and if (i) they had a legitimate chance to do some real damage, and (ii) Duke wasn't in the midst of a 5-year tournament slump so they didn't really need to make it to or past the second round, I might consider a temporary switch. In another couple years, perhaps the Gophers will be a 5 or 6 seed with the potential to make second weekend noise. Then we'll talk.
For the record, it's probably in the TC papers and the like, but Duke and Minnesota have met in the tournament before. 1989, Duke won in the Sweet Sixteen. Also a 2-10 matchup. That was Laettner's freshman year, Danny Ferry's senior year (I think). IIRC, Quinn Snyder was on that squad, too, and Robert Brickey had a big tournament for Duke, who made the Final Four but lost to Seton Hall in the semis. The Gophers were the Burton/Newburn/Shikenjanski/Lynch/Coffey team that made that run to Regional Finals that you all remember the next season, where they lost to Georgia Tech with the famous Dennis Scott/Kenny Anderson/Brian Oliver squad that jacked up threes like crazy. If I recall correctly, that team played Shaq and Chris Jackson in one of the most entertaining games I'd ever seen to that point, with both teams close to triple digits.
Also for the record, I'll note that as a fan, that next season, 1990 may have been the best tournament ever as far as I'm concerned. Amazing tourney. Loyola crushing defending champs Michigan, making the Final Eight, Bo Kimble's left-handed free throw for Hank Gathers; that LSU/Georgia Tech game; the Gophers making a huge run; Carolina shocking Mookie Blaylock and Oklahoma; Lionel Simmons taking LaSalle to the Sweet Sixteen; Duke making its fourth Final Four in five seasons; UNLV setting the stage for a run at Greatest Team Ever status the next season. That's a wild ride.
9 Comments:
Jan - FYI, I welcome participation by newbies. However, I undoubtedly don't know them in person. I've enjoyed having this blog as an alternative to just e-mailing friends all the time and hesitate to just add a new poster without any personal connection, especially if you claim they'll be "controversial." (Wait a second, you're talking about Sarah, aren't you?)
If we were looking to get eyeballs on here, great, but to me it's just a conversation between a bunch of guys I know and trust (except LH [on the "know" thing - I trust him as much as I could trust any Centaur, I guess]).
Perhaps a probationary period where the new participants comment after original posts? We can then install someone as a contributor as well as comment poster once we're comfortable with them? Would blogspot's options allow that?
Or, I'd be happy to have anyone join the roster immediately if they can install my original idea for a bell/whistle on this thing: the "Chuck G. MN Sports Happiness Meter." It would be a general barometer on where the temperature of an all-sports fan of Minnesota teams might sit at any given time. Changing graphic would have to include a bald head somehow. Not sure what the "scale" would be, but this morning's reading would certainly be higher than yesterday's.
March 16, 2009 at 1:09 PM
MCA - no worries, man. No need to defend your decision (though the defense was a fun read). Under the bylaws of the "who needs it more?" rooting interest constitution, Duke would definitely need it more. The Gophers are a year or two away from being really dangerous, and this NCAA tourney is really just gravy at this point.
BTW, you have an AMAZING memory of those '89 and '90 tournaments. I remember the Burton/Coffey run to the Elite 8 and I remember the Seton Hall / Michigan game, but that's about it. I also remember the UNLV juggernaut and its loss to Duke (because I won the Hopkins HS march madness pool on the strength of that pick).
A couple of other thoughts on the tourney:
1) I took some small enjoyment in knowing that Wisco was the 2nd to last team in.
2) The Gophers getting a 10 seed was a bit shocking, but I guess that win over Louisville was a gift that just kept giving
3) Arizona making it in is absolutely criminal. I'm not going to sit here and whine about a lack of mid-majors this year, but AZ's resume was awful. I think strength of schedule is weighted too heavily...it should be strength of wins with some small factor for quality/road losses (or something like that).
4) What are we supposed to think of Memphis this year?
5) I can already hear people complaining about the Big Ten getting 7 teams in. I think they were all deserving bids as long as people realize that it doesn’t mean the Big Ten is the “best” conference. It just means that the B10 had a lot of solid, middle-of-the-pack teams (as evidenced by the low seeds). The Big East and ACC are better…no question. The good teams are way better…I just think the Big Ten simply had more parity and depth this year. I mean, DePaul, Rutgers et al were awful...
As for blog outsiders / guests…I am torn. I also like the “forum for friends” aspect of it. As long as the guests aren’t packers fans or something, I’m okay with a test-drive…assuming these people can be vouched for by the esteemed FTLOSBW core group.
March 16, 2009 at 3:28 PM
Yeah, odd that I remember those tourneys so well, but complain about not remembering high school generally. From the late '80's - early '90's the later rounds usually coincided with Spring Break, though, so I think that's a big part of it. I remember listening to the Duke/Gophers game on the radio in Snowmass. I remember watching Danny Manning in the '88 Final Four at the base lodge at Steamboat. I watched the Gophs/Georgia Tech game from a hotel room on Maui.
BG, I know it's ridiculous to say it, but that Duke upset of the juggernaut UNLV in '91 probably changed my life. I started following them more than anything because there were two sets of brothers on my high school team who were huge bandwagon UNLV fans. I hated them, and thus I hated UNLV. Enter Hurley and Laettner as the best hope to stop them from repeating. But I really wasn't aware of my now alma mater as being a place for nerds until they won the title that year.
Memphis has to be the most unproven candidate for a #1 seed of all time. I mean, really, they haven't beaten anyone all year. If they weren't Memphis, they'd be Creighton.
There is a serious lack of first and second tier teams this year. The No. 1's all have significant liabilities, and I can easily see any of the 2-4 seeds losing the first weekend. The lower seeds are by definition extremely dangerous this year. My prediction brackets will look totally busted up.
March 16, 2009 at 4:17 PM
I am also impressed by your recollection of the 90's era tournament MCA... like BG, I only remember a few "highlights". For instance, I remember Glen Rice in the Michigan/Seton Hall, and I remember how UNLV threw the final against Duke for instance that cost me money... oh how I remember that.
While I see the point of the "who needs it more" theory- I personally subscribe to the "root for you in all cases except..." theory. For instance, I will root for the Dodgers in all cases except when they're playing the Twins. I guess it is a little easier for people like Jan and I (I don't think the Jumbos or Tommies will be playing the gophers in anything anytime soon), but I prefer to think of it that we're just better people for not having deserted our state...is that fair?
I agree with the jist of MCA's view on new members as well... part of this might be my distate for change of any kind (e.g. my scorn for the automobile) but part of it is also the fact that I like that it is small, limited and wholeheartedly biased- I for sure don't want to read any drivel from any packer fans- assuming they could figure out how to log onto a computer. With that said, I will gladly defer to whatever you decide.
March 16, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Wow, treasure of a post there MCA.
1. If I went to Duke, I'd be riding them all the way too.
2. Because LH might never post on here again if someone picks apart his Anoka Cyclone's 1991 MN State High School Title, we'll keep it OG.
3. LH is right, he and I are better people for keeping the Maroon and Gold in our hearts and in our heads, we're also better people because, well, we just are.
4. The "Chuck G. MN Sports Happiness Meter" is now a must-have. I will get on this.
5. For the tourney - I'd like the Gopher's to win a game. BG's right, this is nice gravy. Sampson is gonna be a beast.
6. As for the "In Living Color" era of the Gophers Hoops (that show was huge back then, right?) at work one day before I left a guy sent me this "Where are They Now: Jim Shikenjanski" article (http://www.gopherhole.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=712) Runs down some great memories from those years. Best part - there use to be a Gopher blog called - "Paging Jim Shikenjanski."
March 16, 2009 at 9:11 PM
Awesome, jan. You the man, techwise. Perhaps my favored outcome would be BG gets about ten different pictures of Chuck G., ranging from total despair (reserved for serious heartbreak, like Vikings lose NFC Championship Game in gruesome fashion) to overcome with elation (reserved for winning national championships, World Series, etc.). In the middle would be pics like "hands covering eyes in disgust while shaking head," (2 on the scale of 1 to 10) "thumbs up" (5 or 6), "pumping fist while shouting 'yah'" (7 or 8), etc. We could combine the Chuck G. Meter with the daily 'CCO or Strib headlines, too. Eventually, I'll type up a descriptor of the scale and the various levels. Like, 5 would be "Status quo holds, with typical Minnesotan pessimism in the foreground. Vikes will never win a Super Bowl, Boston just signed someone the Twins couldn't afford, some local high school stars are still leaving the state for college. On the other hand, Gophers basketball isn't on double secret probation, the Twins are still chugging along in second place, and the Wild should get a 7 or 8 seed in the playoffs again."
March 17, 2009 at 9:52 AM
Wow you guys have been busy. I get the flu, lose 8 lbs in 24 hrs and all of a sudden the blog is alive with more life than it has been in months.
-I agree that MCA does not need to defend his position on Duke. If for any reason he were to ever switch to rooting for the Gophers first then that might require an explanation.
-I am pro the Chuck G fan-ometer especially with pictures.
-Regarding the new people, I would like to know more about them. I like the group we have and in general do not like new people. However, if the new people are like Cox'n'Balls, a buddy of Jan's, I am all for it. My guess is that Jan is talking about the Hrbek and Blyleven hater.
I have two real memories regarding the tournament. 1) watching Laettner hit the shot against Kentucky in Jan's kitchen on a black and white 10 inch screen (10 inches is being generous). 2) losing a crap load of money shorting Arizona future contracts the year they won it all on the floor of the CBOE. Going into the final four I was long Minnesota, Kentucky and NC while being short AZ. I choose not to cover the short figuring I had two chances of AZ being knocked off by a #1 seed. Being a runner at the time, I was not exactly making the big bucks.
March 17, 2009 at 1:01 PM
Don't want to throw a wet blanket on this, but down in ACC land there's a lot of talk about how Tubby looked at UVa before Leitao took it, and is from Virginia originally. Not to be alarmist, but he's considered the early speculation "good fit" name. I don't think there's any actual desire to go, and do think the situation at UVa is a downgrade at the moment. Heck of a lot tougher to move up in the ACC than Big 11. Tubby's no spring chicken anymore, either. Nonetheless, when the tangentially informed start tossing names out like this, sometimes there's a smoke with fire.
March 17, 2009 at 6:39 PM
I would think that if Tubby was 'struggling' a little more at the U and didn't have Sampson and Iverson then he would want to bolt. But I think Tubby has started to like the Big 11 and has respect for the coaches (Izzo, Ryan etc.) Also, I don't know why I think this but, as you know one of Tubby's sons is on his staff, maybe Tubby has made a deal where he leads the team for 7-8 years then Jr gets to take over.
March 18, 2009 at 8:50 AM
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