Beyond Basketball

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas summed it up perfectly. "There has not been a finer gentleman in sports than John Wooden." At 99, the death of Coach Wooden is by no means unexpected, but that still does not take away from the magnificent loss the sports world faces from here on in. On the court, he is the greatest teacher to ever grace the sidelines. More importantly, however, the man off the court is what every human being should strive to be. He's the gold standard in every sense possible. Here was a man who as close to perfection as there has ever been (though he'd be the first to tell you every mistake he's made in the last ten centuries). He last coached basketball in 1975, but his impact on sports and society will continue to resonate for a long time. For the lessons he taught about life transcend time.

From a basketball standpoint, there is no one better. The Sporting News named him the greatest coach of all-time, and with good reason. After all, he won 10 NCAA titles, including 7 straight from '67-'73 and 10 in a 12- year span, had 4 perfect seasons, an 88-game win streak, and 664 wins. He mentored two of the greatest college basketball players ever in Lew Alcindor (aka Kareem Abdul -Jabaar) and Bill Walton. He never swore, but that doesn't mean he wasn't fiesty. In an HBO interview I watched a few years ago about the UCLA dynasty, the interviewer said "Goodness gracious, sake's alive", Wooden's version of a profanity-laden tirade, to a bunch of his former players. Every one of them cringed. Forty years, and he could still have that same effect on his players, some who went on to basketball greatness. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said, "When I think of a basketball coach the only one I ever thought of was Coach Wooden." But what made Wooden so great was that he was so much more than a coach. He was a teacher, pure and simple. Unlike every other coach, he understood that basketball was a game, and when graduation time came, the character of the person who left his program was a heck of a lot more important than basketball player that left. There was no such thing as a star player, because without the other eleven guys, there is no success. When asked why he didn't retire numbers, specifically that of Alcindor, his response was, "What about the youngster who wore that number before Lewis? Didn't he contribute to the team?" No one was more important than his teammates. His "Pyramid of Success" was created to show how to succeed on the court and in life. And while 'competitive greatness' is at the top of the pyramid, the traits on the very bottom are the most important ones: enthusiasm, cooperation, loyalty, friendship, and industriousness. The message is simple -- Athletic achievement is not possible without the basic core values that all people should have. It's great to win, but to win without humility and class is horrible. He is still ashamed that he let Alcindor score 60 points in a game. Winning was important at Pauly Pavilion, but it wasn't the only thing, because Wooden would take great people over great basketball players every time. It was his job to make those two people one in the same, and no one was better at it.

Even after the Wooden Era at UCLA, his role as teacher never went away. Everyone who interacted with him, even for thirty seconds, was changed for the better. Rick Reilly wrote, "The awful thing about knowing John Wooden was that when you left him, you realized how weak you were as a man." Here is a man who never drank, smoked, or swore. He would attend Bruin games up until this year, but basketball was such a minute part of his life. He knew thousands of poems, read anything and everything, and was a devout Christian. Have a conversation with him, and basketball will rarely come up. Hall of Fame coach Lute Olsen asked Coach Wooden to talk to his team before his Arizona Wildcats played UCLA, and according to Olsen, he "spoke for 20 or 30 minutes. He never said a word about basketball, just talked about his philosophy of life and being the best that you could be."

What impressed me most about Coach Wooden was his eternal love for his wife, Nell. His high school sweetheart, the two were married for 52 years before she died of cancer in 1985. But his love for her didn't die with her. He stopped the clocks in his room to read the exact time she died.No one has been under the covers of their bed, not even Wooden himself, let alone lied down on her side of the bed. And what I have a soft spot for, on the 21st of each month he would visit her grave and write her a letter, telling her how much he loved and missed her. Absolutely no one read the letters. They were his private messages to his sweet Nellie. He would place each letter on her pillow, where it remained, joining letters before and after it. To him, death was not something to fear. It was a chance to be reunited with his wife, a reunion over 25 years in the making. When UCLA wanted to name the court at Pauly Pavilion after him in 2003, Wooden said no because Nell's name was not originally going to be included. Then when the school proposed to name it "John and Nell Wooden Court", again he said no. Nell's name goes first. So now when teams go to play the Bruins, they play on "Nell and John Wooden Court". In a society where half of all marriages end in divorce, it's refreshing to see such unconditional love, eighty years after "I do".

There is no one who doesn't like John Wooden, and I would offer you a million dollars to find someone who is too good for his wealth of knowledge. There is no one who can't learn something from Coach Wooden, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing him can most certainly walked away a better person. There are countless quotes I could end this with, but for someone who lived his life so genuinely and with such humility, it seems more fitting to end it with his Seven-Point Creed:

• Be true to yourself.
• Make each day your masterpiece.
• Help others.
• Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
• Make friendship a fine art.
• Build a shelter against a rainy day.
• Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

It wasn't just UCLA, or just college basketball, or even basketball in general that lost a legend. The world lost a legend, and the world should be in mourning. One of its great men is gone. For someone who disliked the spotlight and all the accolades, there's nothing he would like less than to hear people were grieving over his death. Sorry, Coach. You're too important to not grieve.

A Little Bit of Culture

I know, I know. Usually I only do one post per week, but this week was different. A few different things irked me. And because I know the 12 people out there who read this are die-hards, the seven days in between posts are a struggle. (What? It's not?....... Well then I'll go on thinking it is). So this week I'm doing two posts, only this one is a tad different from my others. I'm going to culture you people with an awesome poem I wrote while watching the NCAA title game between Butler and Duke. I know it's not as good as, say, the boys from Rezillaient Productions. But it is certainly better than this crap. So here it is. Enjoy:

I turn on the tube,

And what to I see?

A college basketball analyst grinning with glee.

He calls them "awesome" and "perfect"

I really wanna puke,

There are so many reasons I love to hate Duke.

From Singler and Scheyer,

Back to Laettner and Hill,

Everyone gawks,

At Coach K's crew's skill,

But each time I hear it,

I get physically sick,

Sick of hearing about each

And every overrated prick.

"The play defense, make shots, give teams a spook,"

There are so many reasons I love to hate Duke.

They'll throw elbows, grab jerseys,

And nothing gets called,

Yet breathe too hard near them,

The refs get appalled,

"A foul for you!"

They'll yell from afar,

And when asked about the elbows

They cry "Crazy you are."

They could get away with murder,

Maybe even a nuke,

There are so many reasons I love to hate Duke.

Now they have another title,

Let's hear about it some more,

I need to listen to it

Like Tiger needs another whore.

The NCAA is their whipping boy,

And it seems to be no fluke,

That there are oh so many reasons I love to hate Duke.

(Post-game addition):

The championship hats weren't ugly enough,

They needed something more,

And there comes Jon Scheyer,

As gangsta as ever before,

He turned his hat sideways,

Thinking he was cool,

And to that I'm forced to say

Shut up Jon Scheyer. Who are you trying to kid? You are as preppy as all of your other teammates who will never, ever do anything significant in the NBA. Just like JJ Redick. Or Shavlik Randolph. Or Mike Dunleavy. And who can forget Jay Williams, who clearly taught Ben Roethlisberger how to ride a motorcycle. Legendary. So turn the damn hat straight. K?

So there you have it. Are you .001% more cultured now? I know you are. If not, then at least the soothing rapping of Big D will culture the crap out of you. Then, of course, Chilly C will immediately nullify any culturing because of how awful it is, but then again, can you name any famous rappers to ever have come from Coventry, Connecticut?

I thought so.

Silently Super Spartans

It’s incredibly difficult to get to the Final Four. Just ask the 343 schools who didn’t make it this year. To do it multiple times in a short span is even more difficult. Ask the eight schools who have done it since 2000 and they'll tell you it's no cake walk. In other sports, getting to the finals or playing in the last round of a tournament is just as hard to do. That’s what makes Michigan State so astounding. They are the definition of consistency in college basketball. This trip to Indianapolis and the Final Four is their 6th in the last 12 years. With the new style college basketball has taken on the last ten years, to be that talented every year is incredible.

Here is what college basketball has become in the last decade: If you have a good player, they're off for the NBA come mid-April. That means every year it is the coach’s job to start fresh and find the best players possible. And the best players in the country do not go to the same schools anymore. The competitiveness in the sport has never been greater. Since 2000, the top 5 recruits coming out of high school have gone to a combined 18 schools. Sure, UNC and Duke led the way with 6 and 4 Top-5 recruits, respectively, but some less history-rich schools have stolen some prospects. You probably wouldn't believe me if I said Washington, Seton Hall, and Alabama have as many top prospects in the last decade as UConn, Syracuse, Indiana, and Louisville, but it's true. It’s not like coach Tom Izzo has had the same core group of players for all 12 years. Each fall he takes a different group of kids, full of potential and expectations, and executes. That's right, they've been more consistent than North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas, and even a certain school from Durham, North Carolina... (Warning to any and all NCAA officials reading this: You will probably find the next statement highly offensive. Like adults say to their 6-year-old children, which most of you are, "Eyes closed children!")... the precious, can-do-no-wrong Duke Blue Devils.

(Tangent Time! Sunday night I was watching Duke-Baylor, steaming that Duke would win and go to the Final Four. The Bears need to foul, so they trap Jon Scheyer just beyond halfcourt. He calls a timeout and swings his elbows. In that order. As in the timeout was granted by the official standing 2 feet away, then a good second and a half after the whistle was blown he swung his elbow like he was a 13-year-old girl and Roman Polanski was coming at him. Of course nothing was going to be called on Scheyer. Yet when Baylor's Quincy Acy disagrees with it and bumps into a Duke player, he gets a technical foul. I'm not complaining over the technical. Acy deserved it. He got into Nolan Smith's face and made contact with him. Fine. Whatever. However, the fact that Scheyer's excessive elbow-throwing was in clear violation of NCAA rules. Section 13, Article 1 of the NCAA Men's and Women's Rule Book states "A player shall not excessively swing his or her arm(s) or elbow(s) even without contacting an opponent." Article 3 says "Action of arm(s) and elbow(s) resulting from total body movement as in pivoting or movement of the ball incidental to feinting with it, releasing it, or moving it to prevent a held ball or loss of control shall not be considered excessive." Scheyer was not moving either foot. It was a clear elbow after the whistle. Yet because he's from Duke, no call. Can't upset the fragile preppies.)

Can you tell I don't like Duke that much? I personally hope West Virginia kicks the crap out of them. So, right, back to the Spartans! When you think of some of the best teams in sports over the last dozen years few have comparatively matched the boys from East Lansing. The Los Angeles Lakers have made it to 6 NBA Finals with 4 titles. The New England Patriots made it to 4 Super Bowls and won 3. The Yankees made it to 4 World Series and won 2. But remember, all of those teams are professionals. That means they can keep players for as long as they please, pay them as much as possible, and have to contend with 30 other teams. In college the 70th best team can take down the best on any given night. Anyone who filled out and repeatedly swore at their NCAA Tournament brackets can tell you that.

To sustain success on the college level is something not many teams can do. So you'd think that a team like Michigan State would be constantly among the pre-season favorites to win the NCAA title, right? Wrong. And you'd think they would be loaded with the best talent in the land, right? Wrong again. Every season the Spartans are overlooked, largely due to their lack of superstars. When they won the national title in 2000, they had 2 All-Big Ten first teamers in Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson, but neither were Player of the Year worthy. In 2001 they had one all-conference first teamer (Jason Richardson). In '04-'05, their best players (Maurice Ager and Alan Anderson) made All-Big Ten second team. The last 2 years their best player was Kalin Lucas, whose career high in points is 25. Izzo didn't exactly work with Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Durant. But he takes what he has, utilizes his players' strengths, and turns them into a team. Every year they get pushed aside by the media, and every year the Spartans tell the media to shove it. How do you like them apples?

This weekend I can guarantee you this storyline will be overlooked. After all, Butler's gym is where the boys of Hickory High fictitiously won the state title in Hoosiers in 1951. And the Bulldogs are playing a whole 5-miles from downtown Indy, where the Final Four is being played this year. And West Virginia is playing in their first Final Four since the days of Jerry West. And of course Duke is playing, so we'll hear loads about how good Kyle Singler is (7-for-26 shooting his last 2 games, including 0-for-10 in the Elite 8) and how Nolan Smith is underrated. Spare me. I say focus on how amazingly consistent Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans are, and how for the 6th time in 12 years, they are quietly in the Final Four. Watch it closely. Who knows when another team will make such a run on the college level. And if you don't it's okay. The Spartans will keep on winning anyways.

Pretty Good for A Couple of Smart Guys

I need someone to explain this to me. Why exactly is it a surprise that Cornell is in the Sweet 16? Am I the only one who saw this coming? Through 2 rounds my NCAA bracket has SUCKED, thanks in large part to the Big East's decision to not show up. However, the one thing I can say is that I had the Big Red beating their first two opponents. The fact that people are having spastic heart attacks over this is a little idiotic.

To start with, let's get on the NCAA Selection Committee, because they caused most of this commotion. How on Earth is Cornell a 12-seed? The team went 27-4 in the regular season, and two of their losses were on the road to #1 seeds in Kansas and Syracuse (both of which were close games mind you... they were leading the Jayhawks at the half). They were at one point ranked in the ESPN/USA Today poll. I cannot comprehend how Missouri, Clemson, BYU, Old Dominion, and Florida were all seeded higher than the Big Red. Missouri was blown out twice by Kansas and beat a spiraling Texas team. Clemson had two wins over Top 25 teams, one of which was #13 North Carolina, who went to the NIT. That win is captivatingly unimpressive. BYU went 28-4, but had a resume that was as pathetic - if not more - as Cornell's. Old Dominion beat Georgetown in Washington, DC, so they get brownie points there. Other than that they are a very unflattering team. Florida beat #2 Michigan State early in the season, but went 9-7 in the SEC, which is okay at best if you leave out Kentucky.

Don't get the wrong idea about this team folks. This is not George Mason. They are much, much better. George Mason slipped by teams and had everyone on the edge of their seats, which is probably what made them so lovable. But the Big Red haven't done that through their first two games. They didn't need to hold on for dear life. They weren't playing survive and advance. They went out against Temple and Wisconsin, punched both teams in the mouth, and kicked the living crap out of them. They were up on the Owls by 19 before Temple made a 6-0 run over the last 3 minutes to end it. Before Wisconsin could blink they were down 16-4 and by the second half were completely overwhelmed. Cornell was merely more dominant for all 40 minutes of both games. Not bad for a couple smart guys from Ithaca, New York eh?

Sure, they stumbled a little bit with a truly awful showing at Penn, who at the time was 3-15. But that was a month ago. Let's see what else has changed in the last month:

THEN: Charlotte, Rhode Island, UAB, Tulsa, Dayton all received votes for the Top 25 polls.
NOW: None made the NCAA Tournament, and only URI was a controversial snub.

THEN: After a convincing win over #7 West Virginia, the UConn men were a lock for the Big Dance as long as they showed up in the last week of the season and the Big East tournament.
NOW: 4 straight losses later, the Huskies were NIT bound, and after barely beating Northeastern, their season ended Tuesday in Blacksburg, Virginia at the hands of Va. Tech.

THEN: Republicans were fighting hard with the Democrats over the health-care reform process.
NOW: There are a lot of pissed off GOPs out there.

THEN: The Big East was the conference.
NOW: 5 of the 8 teams to reach the NCAAs lost in the first round, 2-seed Villanova barely beat 15-seed Robert Morris then lost in the 2nd round.

THEN: Corey Haim was bringing entertainment much joy.
NOW: May you all bow your heads in silence.............................................
...............................................................
Thank you. Now stop reading this and don't come back until you've watched License to Drive and Lost Boys.

Clearly, a lot can happen in a month. Plus, every team is allowed a slip-up right? Last year Michigan State lost at home to Northwestern and they made it to the title game. Kansas lost at home to Oklahoma State in 2008 but won the national championship. If a team has an off night in a game outside of March, it's not the end of the world. It's only when it happens every other game that it becomes a problem. The smart guys from Ithaca can get a pass for that.

To call Cornell a Cinderella story is ridiculous. Cinderella has to come up from nowhere to rise to success. George Mason did that in 2006. Villanova did that in 1985. If you ask Kansas or Syracuse, they'll tell you the Big Red are very much somebody. It could be easy for a team to go into the Carrier Dome or Allen Fieldhouse and get rocked. Sure Cornell lost both games, but not without putting up a fight. And now they are in the Sweet 16, taking on what is probably the most talented team in the country in Kentucky. If the Wildcats were to lose it would be an upset, but I hope John Calipari doesn't take this new "Cinderella" nicely. If he does, expect the boys of Cornell to smack him over the head with the glass slipper.

March Madness Baby!

After a week off because 1) It was a quiet week all things considered, and 2) My commentary, which is essentially the very, very shortened rough draft of the blog, was written in 7 minutes at 10 pm. I had no intention of expanding upon it, because there really wasn't a whole lot to expand on. So here we are this week, and obviously it's one of the more wonderful times of the year. Let the Madness begin in college basketball! Last week there were plenty of fantastic games in the conference tournaments (notably the SEC final, A-10 final, and the entire Big East tourney), and if those games were any indication as to how the NCAA Tourney will turn out, college basketball fans everywhere will be in for a wild few weeks. But before you fill out those brackets, take these tips. I would guarantee them, then I remembered how my method turned out last year... anyways follow these 8 steps and you should be good to go. Here's my bracket if you wanted to take a look.

Obviously, take a 12-seed over a 5-seed. A must have for any smart bracket. This year there are some prime candidates in UTEP over Butler, Cornell over Temple, and Utah State over Texas A&M. I picked 2 of these 3 (UTEP and Cornell), and expect at least 1 to pull the upset.

There's a reason teams are ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. If you pick a 15- or 16-seed to pull off a first round upset, or even a 14- or 13-seed, do the following: stop reading this now, put down your pen, and shred your bracket into a million pieces. Why? Because you are an idiot. There's a difference between taking a risk and being flat out ridiculous. The only team that could lose among any of the top 4 seeds is Purdue because without Robbie Hummel, they aren't that good. Picking Siena to topple the Boilermakers is the exception to this rule.

The Big East is the best league in the country. Of the 15 Big East Tournament games, 9 were decided by 5 points or less. The difference between West Virginia (2-seed in the NCAAs and tournament champs), Cincinnati (NIT bound), and Louisville (9-seed) is 3 points. South Florida and UConn, both going to the NIT, beat top 15 teams multiple times this year. If you go .500 in the Big East, you are pretty darn good. In a field where 57 of the 65 teams are not from the Big East, the 8 who are in should be licking their chops. In fact, 3 of my 4 Final Four teams are from the Big East: Syracuse, West Virginia, and surprisingly, Notre Dame.

Throw any and all allegiances out the window. My favorite video game for a long time was NCAA March Madness 2000. And because using Connecticut was too easy, I liked to challenge myself using awful teams like Arkansas Pine-Bluff, UTEP, and San Diego State. But I'm not stupid, none of those teams will advance past the 2nd round, and for the Golden Lions of A-PB, they might lose the play-in game. Just because I began to kind of follow them doesn't mean I've lost sight of reality. You shouldn't either. Sorry to all the Lehigh and Wofford fans out there.

Do not, by any means, talk trash without the results to back it up. You think just because you watch a lot of college basketball that you're gonna automatically win your pool? Think you have more sports knowledge than everyone else? Fine. But by no means should you brag until the money and/or bragging rights are yours. I've heard of stories where people have won their pools for ridiculous reasons, ranging from liking the team name or logo, to flipping a coin 64 times to determine winners. So, yes, there may be a guy who hands his bracket to his 10-year old daughter to fill out, who picks anyone named the Wildcats because she really, really likes High School Musical. Should you mock that person? NO. Because having Kentucky, Villanova, and Kansas State as 3 of your 4 Final Four teams isn't ludicrous.

How a team finishes is a heck of a lot more important than how they started. In November, Texas and Villanova would be 1-seeds and Wake Forest would be a Sweet 16 team at worst. 4 months later times have changed. The only reason the Longhorns or Demon Deacons will advance is because they play each other. 'Nova lost 5 of their last 7, and I expect them to lose in the Sweet 16.

Ohio State and West Virginia, meanwhile, have raised their games as of late. There is no one in the nation I would rather have take a game-winning shot than Da'Sean Butler of the Mountaineers (6 buzzer beaters this year). Did you see that game winner against Georgetown?! Are you kidding me? He is the reason I picked WVU to win it all.

Don't put all of the #1 seeds in the Final Four. It has only happened once since 1979 (2008: UCLA, Memphis, UNC, Kansas). There is just too much parity for it to happen.

There are no George Masons out there. Get over it. Don't put an 11-seed in the Final Four. Minnesota showed they can compete with some good teams, but the great ones are too much for them. San Diego State is good, but Kansas, Ohio State, Georgetown, and Maryland are all better. Washington would have to go through Marquette and WVU (see Big East, above), then Kentucky, who has the most talent in the country. Old Dominion has the best chance. But I'm not going to put too much money on them. Sorry.

When in doubt, flip a coin. It may seem rudimentary and dumb, but sometimes a little luck can go a long way. I did it 4 times because I was just that stuck. And all were Sweet 16 matchups too. I believe that round is the hardest to choose from. This should not by any means be done on a consistent basis, nor should it be relied upon. It is merely an easy way to relieve yourself of the headache that is sure to come otherwise.

For those of you who fill out a women's bracket too, one word: UConn. 72 game winning streak. Every win by double digits. The two best players in the country. Two other all-conference players. The smartest coach in the country. The nation's top offense and defense. Are you convinced yet?