Happens every year, like pitchers and catchers. Except it’s crazy. We lock into the Big East Tournament as if it’s super special. And it sure seems to be.
Yet, it’s not even close. Rarely does it determine which Big East teams make the NCAA Tournament, and a year or two later we can’t even tell you who won the darn thing.
Quick, name the last four Big East Tournament winners in order. See?
For now, we can recall that West Virginia won Saturday night’s final, which is a good thing if you think a school from the East should win the Big East. Just as the Big 10 now has 11 members, the Big East includes schools in Chicago, Indiana, Milwaukee, Kentucky and Cincinnati. That’s why you don’t jump to conclusions when asked, “Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb?”
The WVU-Georgetown final threw ESPN into a sudden production tizzy. WVU hit its last 14 straight free throws, going 14 of 15 for the game. Georgetown hit 14 of 16. That’s what kept a low-scoring game close. But if there’s one thing that ticks off ESPN, it’s having to focus on good foul shooting; that and the disappearance of that Bobby Knight Goes Bananas reel.
The poor folks who put together “SportsCenter” were so stuck for highlights they almost went with footage from slam-dunk contests and “Best of Roy Firestone.”
Anyway, see ya next year, when WVU defends it Big East Tournament title! (It’s WVU, right?)
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The NTRA’s live Webcasts Saturday of Rachel Alexander in New Orleans and Zenyatta at Santa Anita went widely unseen as the site apparently couldn’t handle the traffic, leaving screens blank. The NTRA yesterday apologized.
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While Mark (Take Two and Hit to Left) McGwire is left disgraced, one of the biggest kiddie heroes in TV and toy history, Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea), was a Vince McMahon character built and sustained on steroids, yet proudly carries on. And, like McGwire, Hogan at first lied about it. Among other things, Hogan now co-stars in a TV ad with Troy Aikman.
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Crazy TV golf talk started early yesterday. In NBC’s coverage, Dan Hicks told us that Doral’s “Blue Monster” is “a stage” that’s “poised to crown yet another champion.” Geez, were we supposed to watch it or pour it on our pancakes?
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Are you beginning to think the first thing Tiger Woods‘ new public relations team should do is call another one of those come-clean public speaking sessions to give Woods another shot at telling the truth? Or just drop the whole thing?
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I’m reliably told that in adding Nomar Garciaparra as a studio analyst, ESPN got one right, that my conditioned tout was wrong, that this time ESPN hired a big name with genuine TV talent. Good.
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The Jets now seem to be working off call and mail lists from far beyond that 20-year ticket waiting list they quickly ate through. Folks who never before bought Jets tickets are being hit with two and three phone calls from sales reps encouraging them to purchase PSLs. Pathetic.
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Hey, Gary Bettman. The Stanley Cup playoffs are coming; either twist some arms to clear Comcast-owned VERSUS’ NHL exclusives on DirecTV, or threaten to publicly embarrass, by name, title and company, those guilty of VERSUS’ elimination from DirecTV. Give ’em hell, Gary!
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Was there anything more improbable Saturday than the Knicks’ 34-point win in Dallas? Well, Toms River South, the 16th seed, beat No. 3 seed and defending champion Randolph, 2-1, for the Jersey public high school Class A ice hockey championship at The Rock. TRS was out-shot 47-10.
You can take your bracketologist and . . .
Is ESPN kidding us or itself? It now needs to shove a “bracketologist,” Joe Lunardi, down our throats, to tell us which teams are on the bubble?
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Saving a ball before it went out of bounds, yesterday against Georgia Tech, Duke’s Kyle Singler launched full out into ESPN play-by-player Dan Shulman. Dick Vitale congratulated Shulman for taking the charge.
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Friday and Saturday, Miami, school colors orange, green and white, wore its all black uniforms for its ACC Tournament games on ESPN. Saturday, Kansas State, school colors purple and white, wore its all black uniforms in the Big 12 final on ESPN. The sneaker/apparel companies that give the orders to schools know exactly what they’re doing; they know what it takes to have their stuff appear in perp walks and on “Cops.”
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ESPN/CBS analyst Jay Bilas knows his stuff and shows up prepared, but he speaks college basketball as if it’s a clinical diagnosis — and it’s not good news.
Ohio St., on CBS yesterday, started Dallas Lauderdale. He’s from Cleveland.
Sciambi easy on ears
It should be soon when 39-year-old Jon “Boog” Sciambi — like Boog Powell, Sciambi’s a heavy-set redhead — is a nationally recognized and approved play-by-player. Every time I hear him call baseball or basketball for ESPN or ESPN Radio, he leaves a strong impression.
Friday, working the Lehigh-Lafayette Patriot League final, rather than repeat that Lafayette coach Fran O’Hanlon regularly plays nine or 10 players, early in the second half Sciambi said, “To give you an idea how O’Hanlon coaches, we just came out of a timeout and there are three guys at the scorer’s table.”