There are plenty of problems, most notably those already written about and discussed ad naseum this week regarding leadership, with the 2009/10 spartans. Coaches need to take a look in the mirror as well. I have to question coaches Stephens and Montgomery. Things I learned in 7th and 8th grade -- albeit from a over qualified coach for the position -- seem to be lost on this team.
Why does Chris Allen insist on pasing through the paint? If you plan to pass through the paint it had better be from big to big or from the high post to the low post. Directly across, which Allen has tried all season and at least three times tonight, is just stupid. You don't do it.
Why doesn't anyone ask Lucious a simple question: great, you got the impossible pass to your teammate. Now what? What does he do with it? You passed him the ball on a dead sprint, behind the backboard, in a triple team. You proved you could ge tthe ball in to a tight spot. Now what? Set your teammates up to succeed. Did he get the ball in a position to score? Then why did he get it.
Lucas or anyone else running the point on a break. Why do you over penetrate? If you pass the free throw line you need to be ready to score. If you don't plan to go to the basket stop at the free throw line. Wings. Are two of you running the same lane, making it easy for one defender or bringing a second defender to the space? Think.
Roe. Seriously. Box out. If you don't, don't bother going up. You are over the back about 75% of the time. I have no idea how you haven't fouled out of every game.
Morgan. Please, with the faces. Some coach please tell him to stop with the faces and start with not have female body parts. Has there been a softer senior ever? No aggression. No emotion (other than sadness and confusion) and no sense of urgency. Your career is pretty much over. What are you going to be remembered for?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
So its been a while
I've gotten a little behind in my posts. This is partly because I don't have quite as much flexibility at work and partly because there isn't much to write about. I'll try to catch up on the last few weeks all at once.
The Fight:
We all know that fraternities are full of charitable, PBS watching, honorable gentlemen. That's why it was so disturbing, so shocking, so...CRIMINAL to find that a number of MSU football (defensive) players, known for their hard hitting and aggressive ways* were involved in a fight with otherwise innocent fraternity boys. It seems as though the trouble started the night before, when an MSU running back was knocked to the floor while dancing with a young woman at a local club. The knocker-downer is presumed or rumored to be a member of the fraternity in question. No doubt he was helping an old woman across the street** and got lost.
The fight resumed the next day at a student dorm. The fraternity was holding a potluck dinner -- likely giving all of the food to the homeless and less fortunate -- when in stormed the football players. Punches were thrown and the accusations and exaggerations began almost immediately.
We also now know, thank all that is good in this world, what everyone across the country feels did and should happen. Fortunately MSU alums from all over have come out of the woodwork to weigh in. To which the rest of us say who the hell are you and why do I care what you think? Not to be outdone, the national president of the frat told us exactly what occurred, from his unobstructed view from Louisville, KY. Additionally, the "injured" member, if you will, had a sore jaw until he saw dollar signs and hired an attorney. This is where it gets good.
1. He wants to get paid. Unfortunately, his claims are probably only against the person that hit him. That could, maybe, include a kid from Detroit public schools and a kid already in trouble for a previous home invasion. Good luck getting paid. Also, the statements that were made that he "had a sore jaw" turned into debilitating, life threatening complications at some point. That's not gonna hurt your case.
2. His attorney isn't sure what the status of her clients intent to "press charges" is. Well, apparently someone attacked an undercover prosecutor. Last I checked citizens only pressed charges on television, which is apparently where the attorney got her mail order license; law and order university of law. The frat member is also looking into possible violations of international treaties and Microsoft's compliance with antitrust rulings.
The fight is serious, but its not that serious. Neither was it one sided. If it happened down the way, in smellyville, I would be giving them holy hell. It would be justified; 50% based on who they are and 50% based on who they think they are. It happened here instead and I will defend actions in part and question them in part.
Winston may have been worth bringing back to the team. He had little to no history. He is a Detroit kid that needs some help. Football is, maybe, his best chance of helping himself and family out of Detroit. Dantonio did the right thing in giving him a second chance. However, I question playing him at all this year.
Jenrette is another story. A hell of a player and much needed in the secondary. However, that can't cloud the ultimate decision. If Dantonio knew about the multiple breaking and enterings -- not a college fight but felonies -- he should have been gone.
A lot of these other guys seem like good kids trying to support a friend/teammate. They should have known better but they screwed up. They should not be kicked off the team. They should be talking to kids about this stuff. They should be talking, as soon as this criminal and civil business comes to a conclusion, on espn. They should be doing events with this fraternity.
MSU Basketball:
Last year I knew, prior to and after playing UNC, we did not want to see them in the tourney. The prior year I knew that Memphis was that good. Now, Memphis lost the championship game in the last minute to Kansas, and no one ever said Memphis was the smartest*** or best free throw shooting team, but they were the most talented.
Texas is good, but Texas isn't that good. I have no problem seeing Texas again in the tournament. UNC isn't that good either. We made both look much better than they really are. Summers and Allen have regressed and gave us basically nothing. Assuming Roe gets better, the freshmen improve, and Lucas and Morgan get their heads right, we can beat anyone.
This team could be really, really, really good. They have to 1. cut down turnovers off stupid passes, 2. learn that they are simply not going to get fouls called in the backcourt, and 3. be tough.
1. The turnovers are getting ridiculous. Lucious and Lucas lost the game the other night in about 45 seconds. Roe, Summers, Allen, and Green had a dozen bad passes combined against Texas where two questions should be asked; what the hell was the guy going to do with it if he caught it? and do you think you are playing stevie wonder?
2. We get hacked a lot bringing the ball up and running sets from the top of the key. Against Texas it was called "good pressure defense." I call it Duke/Old Kentucky defense. Training begins at age 6 in jockey school where you learn to ride a horse and the skills are transferred to basketball once you break 100 lbs. That said, Lucious should NEVER get picked by a big man. It happened on back to back plays last game.
3. This team is playing weak. Roe doesn't box out about 50% of the time and goes over the back. Morgan got fouled on a sure dunk but went up weak and missed a 3 point opportunity. He has no aggression. Roe shows spurts of aggressiveness. Green is the only player that looks for contact and expects contact. Allen is rarely close enough to anyone from the opposite team to consider contact, especially on defense. He has improved though.
I still like this team and think they could win the bigten, the bigten tournament, and make a final four run. They could also lose 10 games. The shooting needs to improve and the communication needs to, I don't know, exist. Hopefully an established starting lineup will help that.
* this is called sarcasm, a skill which is amplified after watching the MSU "defense," as they insist they should still be called, give up buttloads of offense to bad, bad teams
** no word on what the elderly woman was doing at an overcrowded night club after midnight, why the entire fraternity was needed to assist this person, or how the entire fraternity managed to get lost. Christmas idea for said frat: GPS.
***the actual academic abilities of the players is not known as none ever took their own entrance exam or attended a class at Memphis. If that statement turns out to be false we can simply have it vacated and I can go about my business as usual with no consequences.
The Fight:
We all know that fraternities are full of charitable, PBS watching, honorable gentlemen. That's why it was so disturbing, so shocking, so...CRIMINAL to find that a number of MSU football (defensive) players, known for their hard hitting and aggressive ways* were involved in a fight with otherwise innocent fraternity boys. It seems as though the trouble started the night before, when an MSU running back was knocked to the floor while dancing with a young woman at a local club. The knocker-downer is presumed or rumored to be a member of the fraternity in question. No doubt he was helping an old woman across the street** and got lost.
The fight resumed the next day at a student dorm. The fraternity was holding a potluck dinner -- likely giving all of the food to the homeless and less fortunate -- when in stormed the football players. Punches were thrown and the accusations and exaggerations began almost immediately.
We also now know, thank all that is good in this world, what everyone across the country feels did and should happen. Fortunately MSU alums from all over have come out of the woodwork to weigh in. To which the rest of us say who the hell are you and why do I care what you think? Not to be outdone, the national president of the frat told us exactly what occurred, from his unobstructed view from Louisville, KY. Additionally, the "injured" member, if you will, had a sore jaw until he saw dollar signs and hired an attorney. This is where it gets good.
1. He wants to get paid. Unfortunately, his claims are probably only against the person that hit him. That could, maybe, include a kid from Detroit public schools and a kid already in trouble for a previous home invasion. Good luck getting paid. Also, the statements that were made that he "had a sore jaw" turned into debilitating, life threatening complications at some point. That's not gonna hurt your case.
2. His attorney isn't sure what the status of her clients intent to "press charges" is. Well, apparently someone attacked an undercover prosecutor. Last I checked citizens only pressed charges on television, which is apparently where the attorney got her mail order license; law and order university of law. The frat member is also looking into possible violations of international treaties and Microsoft's compliance with antitrust rulings.
The fight is serious, but its not that serious. Neither was it one sided. If it happened down the way, in smellyville, I would be giving them holy hell. It would be justified; 50% based on who they are and 50% based on who they think they are. It happened here instead and I will defend actions in part and question them in part.
Winston may have been worth bringing back to the team. He had little to no history. He is a Detroit kid that needs some help. Football is, maybe, his best chance of helping himself and family out of Detroit. Dantonio did the right thing in giving him a second chance. However, I question playing him at all this year.
Jenrette is another story. A hell of a player and much needed in the secondary. However, that can't cloud the ultimate decision. If Dantonio knew about the multiple breaking and enterings -- not a college fight but felonies -- he should have been gone.
A lot of these other guys seem like good kids trying to support a friend/teammate. They should have known better but they screwed up. They should not be kicked off the team. They should be talking to kids about this stuff. They should be talking, as soon as this criminal and civil business comes to a conclusion, on espn. They should be doing events with this fraternity.
MSU Basketball:
Last year I knew, prior to and after playing UNC, we did not want to see them in the tourney. The prior year I knew that Memphis was that good. Now, Memphis lost the championship game in the last minute to Kansas, and no one ever said Memphis was the smartest*** or best free throw shooting team, but they were the most talented.
Texas is good, but Texas isn't that good. I have no problem seeing Texas again in the tournament. UNC isn't that good either. We made both look much better than they really are. Summers and Allen have regressed and gave us basically nothing. Assuming Roe gets better, the freshmen improve, and Lucas and Morgan get their heads right, we can beat anyone.
This team could be really, really, really good. They have to 1. cut down turnovers off stupid passes, 2. learn that they are simply not going to get fouls called in the backcourt, and 3. be tough.
1. The turnovers are getting ridiculous. Lucious and Lucas lost the game the other night in about 45 seconds. Roe, Summers, Allen, and Green had a dozen bad passes combined against Texas where two questions should be asked; what the hell was the guy going to do with it if he caught it? and do you think you are playing stevie wonder?
2. We get hacked a lot bringing the ball up and running sets from the top of the key. Against Texas it was called "good pressure defense." I call it Duke/Old Kentucky defense. Training begins at age 6 in jockey school where you learn to ride a horse and the skills are transferred to basketball once you break 100 lbs. That said, Lucious should NEVER get picked by a big man. It happened on back to back plays last game.
3. This team is playing weak. Roe doesn't box out about 50% of the time and goes over the back. Morgan got fouled on a sure dunk but went up weak and missed a 3 point opportunity. He has no aggression. Roe shows spurts of aggressiveness. Green is the only player that looks for contact and expects contact. Allen is rarely close enough to anyone from the opposite team to consider contact, especially on defense. He has improved though.
I still like this team and think they could win the bigten, the bigten tournament, and make a final four run. They could also lose 10 games. The shooting needs to improve and the communication needs to, I don't know, exist. Hopefully an established starting lineup will help that.
* this is called sarcasm, a skill which is amplified after watching the MSU "defense," as they insist they should still be called, give up buttloads of offense to bad, bad teams
** no word on what the elderly woman was doing at an overcrowded night club after midnight, why the entire fraternity was needed to assist this person, or how the entire fraternity managed to get lost. Christmas idea for said frat: GPS.
***the actual academic abilities of the players is not known as none ever took their own entrance exam or attended a class at Memphis. If that statement turns out to be false we can simply have it vacated and I can go about my business as usual with no consequences.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tiger Tiger Woods Ya'll
There are few things I care less about than Tiger Woods personal life. I didn't like him more when he married a model, or when he had a child, or when he drove a Buick. I like his golf game. I appreciate his talent. He could have sex with women, men, or no one at all, and so long as it doesn't happen while he is golfing, I don't care.
A good barometer: If Nancy Grace is talking about it I likely don't care.
I am mildly amused with Phil Mickelson's personal life to the extent that he is married to an attractive woman. I'm almost past being astonished. Annnnd I don't care about his personal life.
Did Tiger kill someone? Did he rape someone? Hell, did he lie under oath about taking steroids or hide earnings offshore to avoid taxes? No. He is an adult that did adult things with other consenting adults. He made bad decisions and looks foolish. Welcome to being human.
This isn't a Larry Craig situation. This is a weekend news story at best. It's a shame but beyond 48 hours it's a non story.
A good barometer: If Nancy Grace is talking about it I likely don't care.
I am mildly amused with Phil Mickelson's personal life to the extent that he is married to an attractive woman. I'm almost past being astonished. Annnnd I don't care about his personal life.
Did Tiger kill someone? Did he rape someone? Hell, did he lie under oath about taking steroids or hide earnings offshore to avoid taxes? No. He is an adult that did adult things with other consenting adults. He made bad decisions and looks foolish. Welcome to being human.
This isn't a Larry Craig situation. This is a weekend news story at best. It's a shame but beyond 48 hours it's a non story.
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