In the past month, I’ve watched the most college basketball that I’ve ever watched. I’ve gone to parties to watch basketball; I’ve gone to sports bars; I’ve called up friends to find out where they’re watching the games; I’ve put Sports Illustrated on my internet favorites list (ok people, pick your jaws off the floor. Frosty, I’m looking at you).
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a little confused with the game. My main gripe is, unlike in football, NO ONE EXPLAINS FOULS. The players are all tangled under the key, and suddenly the ref blows his whistle. But, before there can be an instant replay so I can figure out who did what to whom, the fouled-on player is taking his free throw. What the hell, what just happened? Apparently, in this sport, I’m supposed to actually listen to the moronic announcers.
My recent focus on basketball is accompanied with actual basketball opinions. So let me say that while Duke is doing very well this year, I think we learned from the Panthers/Seahawks game (which still stings a little) that a team can not count on going all the way based on one tactic. The Seahawks understood that if you shut down the Delhomme/Smith combination, the Panthers have nothing. If someone figures out how to shut down J.J. Redick, or at least limit his impact, Duke is in trouble. I’m not saying that a team will actually figure out how to enervate “the J.J. affect,” I’m just saying that I don’t think that Duke will win the title this year. That seems like an honor that UConn is going to get.
Now, you’d think that this basketball fascination is all roses, but oh no, it comes with a dilemma: Which team to root for. I didn’t go to college here, so I don’t have an allegiance to UNC, Duke, or NC State, but it seems like UNC is in a “rebuilding” year, so I can’t fairly judge their performance this year. I’ve already expressed my issue with Duke’s game this year. As far as N.C. State, it’s not hard to pull for the underdogs, and as far as Tobacco Road goes, that’s the moniker that State holds. Yet, how long can you root for the underdogs? I mean, after a while, you’ll get frustrated with your team almost pulling it together.
My current solution is to simply pull for all three; you know, a sort of “support the area schools” thing. That’s probably going to fly for about another two weeks, and then I’m going to have to pick a team. But until I then, I’m just going to enjoy my sport du jour.
3 comments:
quick question? how do you dissect duke's game and championship prospects without a mention of sheldon williams???????????
Ha. Sometimes Sheldon shows up to the game to play, and sometimes he just shows up. In the games that I've seen, he's done more of the latter.
don't discount him. it's not march yet.
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