Becoming a good basketball player requires skill, athleticism, and countless hours of practice. If we, the Says Things Bloggers, would spend even half the time in the gym playing basketball as we do sitting around discussing it, we might be decent. Actually, we’d probably still be pretty bad. But at least we’d be potentially respectable in the UMD basketball pickup circuit in the Armory, Ritchie Coliseum, and the ERC.
The way things are currently though, we only make the walk to one of the above gyms about two or three times per week, which means we only play about once or twice a week. There’s usually a one-in-three shot that we walk all the way to the gym, and end not playing for one reason or another, such as the gym being packed, closed for volleyball, or my personal favorite, the week Ritchie was closed for a rhythmic gymnastics competition.
As a team, our skill set isn’t great. We’re not in shape, so we get tired easily in full-court games. We don’t have a lot of size, as Andrew, Steve, and I are only about 6’1”. So when we finally make it to the gym and are looking to play, we can’t just play against anyone. Guys who can dunk, quick ball handlers, and guys in prestigious basketball camp jerseys would destroy us. We have to be selective. Sure, shorter, slower people who can’t jump are the obvious choices to play against, but there are other special people we enjoy playing because we don’t like losing…
Guy in Jeans – Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy a good pair. And they’re pretty much all I wear during winter. But jeans have no place in basketball. They inhibit your range of motion and are heavy, slowing you down. So you, jeans-wearer, make an ideal target to drive by on the perimeter.
Also in this category: Guy in Cords, Dockers, or any Pants Other than Sweats
Chucker with the ugly jumpshot – It’s one thing to not be able to shoot well and have problems making three-pointers. It’s a whole different problem if you know shooting isn’t your game and you continue to chuck anyways. Drive, slash, crash the boards. Do anything, but stop chucking from out of your range. Sooner or later, your team will stop passing you the ball, making it a 5 on 4 advantage for us.
Also in this category: Awkward, Lanky Guy who Forces Post Shots Despite Being Triple-teamed
Guy in Collared Shirt – Were you on your way to take a girl out to dinner? Then you probably shouldn’t be playing basketball at the gym. Did you feel underdressed in your t-shirt? Well now you’ll pay the price by sweating twice as much as everyone else and possibly leave bad sweat stains on a nice shirt. Nice work.
Also in this category: (One of the only things worse than Guy in Collared Shirt) – Guy in Collared Shirt who Pops his Collar after Making Basket
Guy with Hiking Shoes – I understand if you don’t want to pay the money for a nice pair of basketball shoes. But those Nike mock-hiking boots aren’t really suitable for basketball. The only climbing you’ll be doing is out of the hole that we put your team in after we score the first 5 because you can’t play. Technically, you didn’t wear Timberlands, so you tried to wear something decent, but you just came up short.
Also in this category: Guy in Cargo Shorts (tried, but didn’t quite get it)
Guy who’s Old Enough to be Your Grandfather – Most likely, you’ve either come back to school to take college credits for some absurd reason or actually paid for a UMD CRS membership because you live close to campus. How anyone would be stupid enough to pay for absurd hours and intramural badminton tournaments is beside the point. Your crew socks, sweatbands, and walking shoes probably make you a better fit for the step-aerobics class. You can’t run the floor very well, and even though you may have a decent set-shot, your teammates probably won’t pass it to you in fear of your Arthritic wrists and hands.
Also in this category: Guy who Looks like Your 70-Year-Old Professor
Guy with Hat – Expecting a blinding glare off the floor, you wore a baseball cap to the gym to play basketball. If this was the early 90’s, if you were as good as Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson were in White Men Can’t Jump, and if you could pull this look off, it wouldn’t be as big of a deal. But it’s almost 20 years later, you’re playing crappy pickup ball in a UMD gym, and I’m pretty sure that look faded out with Zubaz. There are zero advantages to wearing a hat while playing basketball indoors. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t just take your hat off and set it on the side. Guy in Jeans can’t do that because he probably isn't wearing shorts. Guy who’s Old Enough to be Your Grandfather can’t do anything about his age. You have the option of making yourself less of a target. Take off your damn hat.
Also in this category: Not much compares to Guy with Hat.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Terps win takes the Wake!
So apparently Gary Williams (who is indeed a baller) can only struggle against former Big East teams. His Terps beat a surging Wake Forest team on the road to run his team's record to 8-6 en route to handing the Deacons just their second home loss of the season, 74-70.
Greivis Vasquez and James Gist must play well for the Terps to beat any competitive opponents and tonight they did just that. Gist asserted himself from the beginning by hitting a number of jump shots in the first half including three triples in the game. He also manned the inside, taking a dozen foul shots and grabbing 11 boards to go along with a career high 31 points including the free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Vasquez had his usual outstanding game with 24 points, 8 assists, and 4 boards plus just 4 turnovers on 9-15 shooting. The defining sequence for Vasquez saw him post up his miniature defender (Teague?) in order to score on three consecutive trips down the court.
The Terps led for the majority of the game, but that doesn't mean that tonight wasn't without some tense moments. After taking a 68-57 lead midway through the second half on an Eric Hayes' three, the team went ice cold. Cold enough that they went the final 9:10 without making a shot from the field. The Terps missed nine straight shots to finish the game, often settling for threes. BOOM was held scoreless while playing limited minutes due to illness, a big cause of the team's inability to get high percentage shots down the stretch.
The defense, along with torrid early shooting, played a huge part in winning the game. Wake shot just 37.9% from the field, similar to their earlier pathetic shooting performance against the Terps at Comcast Center. James Johnson, a freshman from Wyoming (they play ball there?), was incredible on his way to 25 points, but his only scoring help came from seven foot near-stiff Chas MacFarland.
The win moves the Terps back into a tie for fourth place with Virginia Tech. As it stands now the Hokies own the tiebreaker meaning that Maryland would face Virginia in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Next up is Clemson (8-5 ACC) on Sunday. It will be Senior Night for James and BOOM so expect the emotion to be there. Hopefully the execution will be as well.
Greivis Vasquez and James Gist must play well for the Terps to beat any competitive opponents and tonight they did just that. Gist asserted himself from the beginning by hitting a number of jump shots in the first half including three triples in the game. He also manned the inside, taking a dozen foul shots and grabbing 11 boards to go along with a career high 31 points including the free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Vasquez had his usual outstanding game with 24 points, 8 assists, and 4 boards plus just 4 turnovers on 9-15 shooting. The defining sequence for Vasquez saw him post up his miniature defender (Teague?) in order to score on three consecutive trips down the court.
The Terps led for the majority of the game, but that doesn't mean that tonight wasn't without some tense moments. After taking a 68-57 lead midway through the second half on an Eric Hayes' three, the team went ice cold. Cold enough that they went the final 9:10 without making a shot from the field. The Terps missed nine straight shots to finish the game, often settling for threes. BOOM was held scoreless while playing limited minutes due to illness, a big cause of the team's inability to get high percentage shots down the stretch.
The defense, along with torrid early shooting, played a huge part in winning the game. Wake shot just 37.9% from the field, similar to their earlier pathetic shooting performance against the Terps at Comcast Center. James Johnson, a freshman from Wyoming (they play ball there?), was incredible on his way to 25 points, but his only scoring help came from seven foot near-stiff Chas MacFarland.
The win moves the Terps back into a tie for fourth place with Virginia Tech. As it stands now the Hokies own the tiebreaker meaning that Maryland would face Virginia in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Next up is Clemson (8-5 ACC) on Sunday. It will be Senior Night for James and BOOM so expect the emotion to be there. Hopefully the execution will be as well.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Most Erudite Blog You Shall Read All Day
It has come to my attention that many of the readers of this beloved blog are unlearned in the ways of the world. Not to sound condescending but the readers are, shall we say, uncouth. They do not know of the finer things in life. They are unaware of the sophistication that is But Then Came Gary Williams. In an effort to make the readers more cosmopolitan, I will take the time to educate them on the more subtle aspects of living. Be forewarned, the knowledge contained herein may be unsuitable for all. If the reader wants to become civilized, do read ahead. If not, go to some other trash you Philistines.
It has come to my attention that many of you have the dreadful habit of using the word "prank." The hallowed Oxford English Dictionary defines prank as "A pleat, fold," and mentions that it is obscure and rare. It is also defined as a verb meaning to perform the action of a "prank." I am all for bringing back the rich heritage of Middlee Englishe, but as you may very well know these are advanced times we live in and so we must use advanced terminologies. No longer can we use such simple, outdated terms just as we can longer use such simple, outdated machines like the inclined plane. To quote the Steve Austin's creators, "We have the technology. . .we can make [it] better. . ." and so we shall.
I would like to be the first to welcome you all to a new era. It may very well become the greatest era of enlightenment and achievement the human race has ever known. From henceforth, the word "prank" and the action of "pranking" shall be known as "hax" or "haxing." The word hax is pronounced like the word "hacks." Likewise, haxing in pronounced "hacksing."
There is also one more caveat. Unlike "pranks," when one is haxing one must be sure to announce that one is indeed in the act of performing a hax. This can be done in one of two ways. The first, more simple way to do this is to merely announce to your victim that he or she has been haxed. This can be done during the haxing, after the haxing, or when the victim finds out what has been haxed.
The second way to do this is similar to the first. The announcement of the haxing is done at the same times, except this time the type of hax is also announced to the victim. Determining the type of hax is somewhat tricky, ever for a person experienced in the art. If you follow a few rules though, it can be quite easy.
Godspeed!
It has come to my attention that many of you have the dreadful habit of using the word "prank." The hallowed Oxford English Dictionary defines prank as "A pleat, fold," and mentions that it is obscure and rare. It is also defined as a verb meaning to perform the action of a "prank." I am all for bringing back the rich heritage of Middlee Englishe, but as you may very well know these are advanced times we live in and so we must use advanced terminologies. No longer can we use such simple, outdated terms just as we can longer use such simple, outdated machines like the inclined plane. To quote the Steve Austin's creators, "We have the technology. . .we can make [it] better. . ." and so we shall.
I would like to be the first to welcome you all to a new era. It may very well become the greatest era of enlightenment and achievement the human race has ever known. From henceforth, the word "prank" and the action of "pranking" shall be known as "hax" or "haxing." The word hax is pronounced like the word "hacks." Likewise, haxing in pronounced "hacksing."
There is also one more caveat. Unlike "pranks," when one is haxing one must be sure to announce that one is indeed in the act of performing a hax. This can be done in one of two ways. The first, more simple way to do this is to merely announce to your victim that he or she has been haxed. This can be done during the haxing, after the haxing, or when the victim finds out what has been haxed.
The second way to do this is similar to the first. The announcement of the haxing is done at the same times, except this time the type of hax is also announced to the victim. Determining the type of hax is somewhat tricky, ever for a person experienced in the art. If you follow a few rules though, it can be quite easy.
- Firstly, the announcement is always [type of hax] hax. Never the other way around. For example, if I took the victim's keys and hid them, I would announce "key hax." Never would I say "hax keys."
- Note: Saying "I haxed your keys" is a perfectly acceptable way of announcing the hax
- Secondly, the type of hax is determined by what has most been affected by the hax or what was used to do the haxing. For example, if someone's pencils were placed in jello, it would be known as a jello hax. It would not be a pencil hax. However, if the pencils were merely taken and hidden, it would only be a pencil hax.
- A special case of the Second rule is when the haxing is done to imitate someone. If the person's personal effects are taken and used to perform the hax, then the announcement is not "[personal effects] hax." Instead it is "[name of person]" hax.
Godspeed!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
But Then Came Frank Haith
What can you say? Sometimes when you watch a team long enough, you feel like you've seen a particular game play out a thousands times over the years. Yesterday was one of those times. For the third straight game, and fourth time in five games, Maryland lost to Frank Haith's Miami club. It wasn't as embarrassing as last season's sweep at the hands of the Canes - Miami is a legitimate NCAA Tournament quality team this season - but Maryland looked just as inept defensively against Miami's shooters and offensively against their physical defenders.
Maybe you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Since the ACC expanded prior to the 2005 season, Gary Williams' teams are a combined 5-12 against Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College as compared to 27-17 against the other eight teams in the conference. This year the difference is even more pronounced as Maryland is 1-4 against the newcomers against 6-2 versus the old guard.
The common trait that the three new teams share is a deliberate pace that is in stark contrast to the typical up and down style of the ACC, as well as a certain physical nature more at home in the grind-it-out Big East. The Terps have simply never seemed comfortable against those teams. Once again the big men never got untracked as James Gist threw up his third poor performance in four games including picking up more cheap fouls. The Terps' defense made fans feel like Dorenzo Hudson during a Jason McAlpin free throw. Eric Hayes shot well from the field but was again abused on defense while Vasquez and Milbourne combined to shoot 10-33.
It seemed like the most positive thing to come out of this game was confirmation that Jerome Burney is indeed still alive. With Gist and BOOM both hampered by early foul trouble, Gary Williams called on Burney for the first time since the Savannah State game. Burney responded with a putback dunk to end the first half (and cut the lead to three) before adding another thunderous jam in the second half to go with five rebounds in 12 minutes. Hopefully Coach will use him again before next February.
Next up is the game to decide which way the season will go, at Wake Forest on Thursday night. Go Terps.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Party in the City Where the Heat is On
Hey gang, remember that Will Smith joint about that South Florida town known as Miami? Sure ya do! It was awesome, wasn't it? Big Willie Style was clearly one of the seminal achievements in rap history and indeed in the history of American Popular Culture.
But enough of my clever segue into this preview of the Terps trip down to Miami to face their ACC rivals the Hurricanes. Let's talk about how Miami isn't in Miami, but rather Coral Gables, FL. Or how Boston College is actually in Chestnut Hill. Or how Wake Forest is in Winston-Salem and not, oh, I don't know, Wake Forest. At least Clemson is actually in the town of Clemson instead of joining in this parade of falsification.
Er, anyway, the Hurricanes. They just beat Duke at home, although when you're the second team to do that in a matter of four days, it loses some of its luster. They uncharacteristically shot the lights out, particularly sophomore big man Dwayne Collins who went for 26 points. After failing to make a single FG against Duke a few weeks back, he made 12 on Wednesday. Go figure.
Offensively, Miami is built on toughness - they get to the foul line and rebound the heck out of the ball on the offensive end. They also shoot well from downtown at nearly 40% on the season though they shoot fewer three pointers than the majority of conference rivals. What they don't do well is score inside the arc. No ACC team shoots a lower percentage on two point shots than Miami - big man Anthony King shoots an abysmal 43% from the field and star scorer Jack McClinton shoots just 40%, lower than his percentage from beyond the arc. Against Maryland's stellar two point defense, first in the ACC, don't expect that to change. James Dews and McClinton are both quality scoring options, but the lack of a true point guard in the backcourt hurts the offense.
While Miami does enough to put together a respectable offense, the defense has not been very good at all. They are a very poor rebounding team, one of the perils of using a three guard set featuring three guys all at or under 6-3. Even with a small, quick backcourt no one on the Hurricanes gets steals and Miami doesn't force turnovers much at all which bodes well for the turnover prone Terps. The Canes do have the interior defense and physicality to neutralize James Gist and BOOM, but as a whole the defense should not be good enough to contain the Terps' attack if Maryland executes the way they have for much of the past two months.
But enough of my clever segue into this preview of the Terps trip down to Miami to face their ACC rivals the Hurricanes. Let's talk about how Miami isn't in Miami, but rather Coral Gables, FL. Or how Boston College is actually in Chestnut Hill. Or how Wake Forest is in Winston-Salem and not, oh, I don't know, Wake Forest. At least Clemson is actually in the town of Clemson instead of joining in this parade of falsification.
Er, anyway, the Hurricanes. They just beat Duke at home, although when you're the second team to do that in a matter of four days, it loses some of its luster. They uncharacteristically shot the lights out, particularly sophomore big man Dwayne Collins who went for 26 points. After failing to make a single FG against Duke a few weeks back, he made 12 on Wednesday. Go figure.
Offensively, Miami is built on toughness - they get to the foul line and rebound the heck out of the ball on the offensive end. They also shoot well from downtown at nearly 40% on the season though they shoot fewer three pointers than the majority of conference rivals. What they don't do well is score inside the arc. No ACC team shoots a lower percentage on two point shots than Miami - big man Anthony King shoots an abysmal 43% from the field and star scorer Jack McClinton shoots just 40%, lower than his percentage from beyond the arc. Against Maryland's stellar two point defense, first in the ACC, don't expect that to change. James Dews and McClinton are both quality scoring options, but the lack of a true point guard in the backcourt hurts the offense.
While Miami does enough to put together a respectable offense, the defense has not been very good at all. They are a very poor rebounding team, one of the perils of using a three guard set featuring three guys all at or under 6-3. Even with a small, quick backcourt no one on the Hurricanes gets steals and Miami doesn't force turnovers much at all which bodes well for the turnover prone Terps. The Canes do have the interior defense and physicality to neutralize James Gist and BOOM, but as a whole the defense should not be good enough to contain the Terps' attack if Maryland executes the way they have for much of the past two months.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
I'm a terrible blogger
Wow I suck. It's been over a week since the my last blog post. Add to that the fact that I still haven't gotten a decent mp3 player for the podcast and the general laziness of the blog staff and it looks gloomy for saysthings. In attempt to not have this blog die the death of so many of my other life goals and aspirations, I'm going to make it a personal goal to write more on this blog. That and I don't want to do problem sets.
And now I've hit writer's block. What great knowledge contained within me (ha) could I release to you, our humble readers? Really, I don't know. There's general fare for the blog. Terps are goin' to the LIG, Rockband is awesome, music is neat, movies are cool. I could also go Yoko on this thing and make a completely introspective and retrospective post (really?) and create concept posts and abstract writings. I could also stop being a bitch and write about something you give a damn about. So I shall.
So here's my best shot, I guess, at something that isn't a Top Whatever list.
I hate sports. I absolutely, completely despise them. That is to say that I love sports. Perhaps too much. Why am I saying "perhaps," of course I love them too much. I'm too involved. And yet I'm not even as engrossed in sports as much as other people are. I don't take games as hard as others do. And no, I really can't ramble off stats and facts like some sort of machine. I have the internet for that. But all of these things may have made my second point a fallacy. But whatever, this is my blog. If you have a problem write your own, dammit. (And get off my lawn while you're at it.)
Seriously though, why should I care so much about sports? Why is it that every win brings elation and every loss brings heartbreak. It's all to varying degrees but these feelings always happen. A fantastic game is recounted over and over while a crushing lost can only be talked about amid utterings of "I don't want to talk about it." Why? Why does all this happen. Frankly, I don't know. Why do we attach ourselves so strongly to a team and ride the emotional roller coaster of wins and losses?
The best answer I can guess is one that isn't even my own. Sports and athletic competitions have replaced wars and battles. That's a good thing. Sports and especially teams allow us to identify with a group. We're part of something as we root on our favorite team. It's not, "did the team win?" or even "did our team win." Almost always the question asked is "did WE win?" And certainly it feels that way. It's an insult to you when the team is derided and praise to you when they are lauded. But we didn't do anything. We aren't the people playing the game. We don't have the athletic abilities. We aren't coaching. We don't plan. Even as fans in the stands, how much does our yelling and screaming really do? Are we going to cause an opposing player to miss a free throw or drop a pop up or miss the snap on 3rd down? No, we aren't, though we'll tell ourselves that we are.
So why do we get so involved? Why are we so invested? It's really not good for us. An up and down game can give some one heart palpitations. Who wants that? And why should we be depressed after a loss? Why should a bad football game ruin us for a week? Why do the Orioles make the little kid inside of me cry and die a little? Why did I rush the court when the Terps beat UNC last year at home? I didn't do anything. I never do. All I do is root, root, root for the home team. But is it such a shame if they don't win?
And this is why I hate sports. It destroys me on the inside. I'm not a normal person. No one is. Sports are, in reality, very meaningless. After the college level (and even including it), sports is really just entertainment. I'm never this involved in a movie. Like hell if I get that jazzed up over Harry Potter. Never have I spent days talking and obsessing over The Simpsons. But here I am lamenting over sports. I should feel this way about people, not events. And so I hate sports. I hate what it does to me and how it makes me feel. I hate the ways it twists and turns me insides. Mostly I hate that I care.
But will I keep watching?
Of course.
And now I've hit writer's block. What great knowledge contained within me (ha) could I release to you, our humble readers? Really, I don't know. There's general fare for the blog. Terps are goin' to the LIG, Rockband is awesome, music is neat, movies are cool. I could also go Yoko on this thing and make a completely introspective and retrospective post (really?) and create concept posts and abstract writings. I could also stop being a bitch and write about something you give a damn about. So I shall.
So here's my best shot, I guess, at something that isn't a Top Whatever list.
I hate sports. I absolutely, completely despise them. That is to say that I love sports. Perhaps too much. Why am I saying "perhaps," of course I love them too much. I'm too involved. And yet I'm not even as engrossed in sports as much as other people are. I don't take games as hard as others do. And no, I really can't ramble off stats and facts like some sort of machine. I have the internet for that. But all of these things may have made my second point a fallacy. But whatever, this is my blog. If you have a problem write your own, dammit. (And get off my lawn while you're at it.)
Seriously though, why should I care so much about sports? Why is it that every win brings elation and every loss brings heartbreak. It's all to varying degrees but these feelings always happen. A fantastic game is recounted over and over while a crushing lost can only be talked about amid utterings of "I don't want to talk about it." Why? Why does all this happen. Frankly, I don't know. Why do we attach ourselves so strongly to a team and ride the emotional roller coaster of wins and losses?
The best answer I can guess is one that isn't even my own. Sports and athletic competitions have replaced wars and battles. That's a good thing. Sports and especially teams allow us to identify with a group. We're part of something as we root on our favorite team. It's not, "did the team win?" or even "did our team win." Almost always the question asked is "did WE win?" And certainly it feels that way. It's an insult to you when the team is derided and praise to you when they are lauded. But we didn't do anything. We aren't the people playing the game. We don't have the athletic abilities. We aren't coaching. We don't plan. Even as fans in the stands, how much does our yelling and screaming really do? Are we going to cause an opposing player to miss a free throw or drop a pop up or miss the snap on 3rd down? No, we aren't, though we'll tell ourselves that we are.
So why do we get so involved? Why are we so invested? It's really not good for us. An up and down game can give some one heart palpitations. Who wants that? And why should we be depressed after a loss? Why should a bad football game ruin us for a week? Why do the Orioles make the little kid inside of me cry and die a little? Why did I rush the court when the Terps beat UNC last year at home? I didn't do anything. I never do. All I do is root, root, root for the home team. But is it such a shame if they don't win?
And this is why I hate sports. It destroys me on the inside. I'm not a normal person. No one is. Sports are, in reality, very meaningless. After the college level (and even including it), sports is really just entertainment. I'm never this involved in a movie. Like hell if I get that jazzed up over Harry Potter. Never have I spent days talking and obsessing over The Simpsons. But here I am lamenting over sports. I should feel this way about people, not events. And so I hate sports. I hate what it does to me and how it makes me feel. I hate the ways it twists and turns me insides. Mostly I hate that I care.
But will I keep watching?
Of course.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Ugh
Is there anything worse than getting swept by a garbage Virginia Tech team? A win tonight would have solidified the Terps' status as NCAA tournament participants, but instead they lost for the second time to the Hokies. Now with road games coming up against Miami and Wake Forest (two teams that just handed Duke its first two conference losses) and a home date with third place Clemson, the Terps might once again have a hill to climb just to make it to the field of 65.
I hate Virginia Tech more than Duke. That might sound wacky, but it's true. At least Coach K has earned some respect through his consistent winning over the past two decades. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, is led by Seth Greenberg, someone who I have no respect for. Greenberg seems particularly salty after losing prized recruit Gus Gilchrist to Maryland this fall making the teams' two dates frosty. After the win was sealed tonight, Greenberg turned to the crowd and pumped his fist while talking shit. The post game handshake between him and Gary Williams may or may not have actually included any contact.
The Terps had a 14 point first half lead, but dubious foul calls sent Greivis Vasquez, James Gist, and BOOM to the bench. With Cliff Tucker still sidelined by the flu, the Terps were missing four of their top six players at one point, forcing Gary Williams to reach deep into his bench. The starting corps was shaky even when they were in the game, with the exception of BOOM and Greivis. Eric Hayes was terrible again, getting routinely beaten off of the dribble on defense by Hank Thorns and Malcolm Delaney and throwing up several shots on offense that failed to even carom off of the rim.
The Terps only lost by four, but that's no consolation because this should have been an easy win at home over an inferior team. While the team started out with a torrid stretch to begin the game offensively, there was no consistent offense after that. BOOM put the ball in the basket a few times even while getting hacked, but James Gist was virtually nonexistent on the inside.
I haven't read Bill Simmons in ages, but I'm pretty sure this loss qualifies as a Stomach Punch Game. Even if not by the definition, every Terp fan probably feels like they've been punched in the gut right now. Ugh.
I hate Virginia Tech more than Duke. That might sound wacky, but it's true. At least Coach K has earned some respect through his consistent winning over the past two decades. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, is led by Seth Greenberg, someone who I have no respect for. Greenberg seems particularly salty after losing prized recruit Gus Gilchrist to Maryland this fall making the teams' two dates frosty. After the win was sealed tonight, Greenberg turned to the crowd and pumped his fist while talking shit. The post game handshake between him and Gary Williams may or may not have actually included any contact.
The Terps had a 14 point first half lead, but dubious foul calls sent Greivis Vasquez, James Gist, and BOOM to the bench. With Cliff Tucker still sidelined by the flu, the Terps were missing four of their top six players at one point, forcing Gary Williams to reach deep into his bench. The starting corps was shaky even when they were in the game, with the exception of BOOM and Greivis. Eric Hayes was terrible again, getting routinely beaten off of the dribble on defense by Hank Thorns and Malcolm Delaney and throwing up several shots on offense that failed to even carom off of the rim.
The Terps only lost by four, but that's no consolation because this should have been an easy win at home over an inferior team. While the team started out with a torrid stretch to begin the game offensively, there was no consistent offense after that. BOOM put the ball in the basket a few times even while getting hacked, but James Gist was virtually nonexistent on the inside.
I haven't read Bill Simmons in ages, but I'm pretty sure this loss qualifies as a Stomach Punch Game. Even if not by the definition, every Terp fan probably feels like they've been punched in the gut right now. Ugh.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Podcast 2
I know, right? We actually have made a second podcast.
Beware, I ramble a lot in here. Also, the bass is a little heavy in the beginning so watch out.
Podcast 2 Download
Ok, for some reason, the mp3 player won't work for this podcast. Check back later for updates.
Beware, I ramble a lot in here. Also, the bass is a little heavy in the beginning so watch out.
Podcast 2 Download
Ok, for some reason, the mp3 player won't work for this podcast. Check back later for updates.
Podcast MP3 player
Hey all,
I'm trying out a new program here. Hopefully you'll be able to hear our podcast in the website itself rather than download the program. It's a flash mp3 player and hopefully it will work. Each new podcast will come with it's own post and accompanying mp3. Also, the current podcast of the week will be featured in the sidebar mp3 player
Thanks
-Andrew
I'm trying out a new program here. Hopefully you'll be able to hear our podcast in the website itself rather than download the program. It's a flash mp3 player and hopefully it will work. Each new podcast will come with it's own post and accompanying mp3. Also, the current podcast of the week will be featured in the sidebar mp3 player
Thanks
-Andrew
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Guy Who Says Things at Sporting Events
Dear Guy Who Says Things at Sporting Events,
Please do yourself and everyone within earshot a favor and shut the hell up. You don't know what you're talking about. You just say things. In fact, you're the original Guy Who Says Things. You're very under-informed, but that won't stop you from spouting your opinion. Especially if you're more informed than you neighbor. Leave the guy alone. It's okay to tell him basic principles and rules of the game. Educate him so that he may better appreciate the sport in front of him. But do not ramble about your opinions.
There is nothing more irritating to a fellow fan than someone sitting behind him saying things. The fact is, what you're saying probably isn't even your opinion. You probably heard some talking head on ESPN talk about this player doing this or this coach doing that. You've taken that limited, anecdotal evidence and applied it to this game. That's bad, but you only make it worse by verbalizing your poor thoughts and letting everyone around you know them.
And of course, the worst part is that you don't know that you're wrong. You think that because you have this information and others aren't saying anything that you're the only person who can possibly have an opinion on this game. You think that what you're saying is correct because no one else is saying anything. And when anyone else tries to correct you, you just try to prove them wrong and contest their points.
Here's the thing GWSTaSE, we're tired of it. It's annoying. It's ruining our good time at the game. There's nothing wrong with opinions. You can have one. But please, back it up with fact. That's your problem. If you just took the time to look things up, to read stats, to learn about your players and coaches, you'd have a much better base for your opinion. Yes, sports are a gut feeling sometimes. But unlike politics, love, or diner food, sports is based in more than gastronomic rumblings. There are facts and figures that go along with sports. And it's not even that hard to find them.
But until such time as you do get some learning behind you, please do me a solid and shut up.
Please do yourself and everyone within earshot a favor and shut the hell up. You don't know what you're talking about. You just say things. In fact, you're the original Guy Who Says Things. You're very under-informed, but that won't stop you from spouting your opinion. Especially if you're more informed than you neighbor. Leave the guy alone. It's okay to tell him basic principles and rules of the game. Educate him so that he may better appreciate the sport in front of him. But do not ramble about your opinions.
There is nothing more irritating to a fellow fan than someone sitting behind him saying things. The fact is, what you're saying probably isn't even your opinion. You probably heard some talking head on ESPN talk about this player doing this or this coach doing that. You've taken that limited, anecdotal evidence and applied it to this game. That's bad, but you only make it worse by verbalizing your poor thoughts and letting everyone around you know them.
And of course, the worst part is that you don't know that you're wrong. You think that because you have this information and others aren't saying anything that you're the only person who can possibly have an opinion on this game. You think that what you're saying is correct because no one else is saying anything. And when anyone else tries to correct you, you just try to prove them wrong and contest their points.
Here's the thing GWSTaSE, we're tired of it. It's annoying. It's ruining our good time at the game. There's nothing wrong with opinions. You can have one. But please, back it up with fact. That's your problem. If you just took the time to look things up, to read stats, to learn about your players and coaches, you'd have a much better base for your opinion. Yes, sports are a gut feeling sometimes. But unlike politics, love, or diner food, sports is based in more than gastronomic rumblings. There are facts and figures that go along with sports. And it's not even that hard to find them.
But until such time as you do get some learning behind you, please do me a solid and shut up.
On to Duke
So the Terps dispatched the NC State Wolfpack on Saturday to move to 6-3 in the lig. It wasn't as easy as it one might have liked - the Terps trailed by two at the half despite 18 points from senior James Gist. But the second half was a different story as the Terps rolled to a 14 point win behind Gist and Greivis Vasquez.
Strengths: Duke can score. They don't have much of a post offense at all so they're as reliant on the three ball as any team in the conference. The team's deep corps of long range shooters includes Taylor King, Greg Paulus, John Scheyer and Demarcus Nelson, all shooting over 40% from long range. Nelson, Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler are the biggest threats to score inside the arc, either through driving to the basket or hitting the mid-range shot.
Duke's "spread" offense takes advantage of their personnel, making up for a lack of size and inside play with an offense that spreads the floor and allows players room to shoot or to exploit a defensive matchup and drive to the basket. Unsurprisingly, with a lineup that is filled with guards and wings, the Blue Devils take excellent care of the basketball. A team that doesn't cough up the rock and shoots well is, of course, very hard to defend.
And speaking of defending, Duke does that pretty well too, specifically outside of the arc. Their deep rotation of guards allows them to matchup and keep guys fresh leading to lots of forced turnovers and poor three point shooting by opponents.
And oh yeah, Duke has one more strength. Whenever an opposing player drives the lane, the Duke defender falls to the floor as if shot, regardless of the amount of actual content. This is called a "flop" in basketball parlance. Duke has also taken the next step of falling backwards onto the hardwood after being grazed during a jump shot. Indeed Coach K has instilled fundamentals in this group of pigmentationally-challenged Dukies.
Weaknesses: This team is number two for a reason. They don't have a plethora of weaknesses. For being an excellent shooting team, Duke is subpar at the line. That's because their two most frequent foul shooters, Demarcus Nelson and Gerald Henderson, both shoot poorly for a guard at just above 60% - worse than BOOM, the Terps' worst starting free throw shooter. Foul shooting crippled Duke early in their last game against Boston College as the Devils made just 2 of their first 10 shots from the charity stripe.
Maryland presents a bad matchup for the Blue Devils offensively with two strong post players in Boom Osby and James Gist. Duke simply has no answer for those two on its roster as was seen in the first matchup between the two teams, particularly in the first half. David McClure, Singler, and Lance Thomas are the post players on this team, and they have zero chance to guard either Maryland post player if Maryland's guards feed the post. Brian Zoubek saw his first action in months against BC, and at 7-1 he could help on the inside. But his extremely limited athleticism will negate the height advantage at least too some extent, even if he is able to play more than two minutes this game.
Verdict: It will be tough for the Terps to go down to Durham and win this one. Duke is 9-0 and has already survived a trip to College Park. Gary Williams is going to have to pull some magic out of that old silk hat to pull of the upset. Maryland needs bench production not just from Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie, but also SOMEONE on the inside to spell Gist and Osby. They also have to limit mistakes and continued their recent torrid shooting. I hate to bet against Gary, especially with the team on a roll.
Strengths: Duke can score. They don't have much of a post offense at all so they're as reliant on the three ball as any team in the conference. The team's deep corps of long range shooters includes Taylor King, Greg Paulus, John Scheyer and Demarcus Nelson, all shooting over 40% from long range. Nelson, Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler are the biggest threats to score inside the arc, either through driving to the basket or hitting the mid-range shot.
Duke's "spread" offense takes advantage of their personnel, making up for a lack of size and inside play with an offense that spreads the floor and allows players room to shoot or to exploit a defensive matchup and drive to the basket. Unsurprisingly, with a lineup that is filled with guards and wings, the Blue Devils take excellent care of the basketball. A team that doesn't cough up the rock and shoots well is, of course, very hard to defend.
And speaking of defending, Duke does that pretty well too, specifically outside of the arc. Their deep rotation of guards allows them to matchup and keep guys fresh leading to lots of forced turnovers and poor three point shooting by opponents.
And oh yeah, Duke has one more strength. Whenever an opposing player drives the lane, the Duke defender falls to the floor as if shot, regardless of the amount of actual content. This is called a "flop" in basketball parlance. Duke has also taken the next step of falling backwards onto the hardwood after being grazed during a jump shot. Indeed Coach K has instilled fundamentals in this group of pigmentationally-challenged Dukies.
Weaknesses: This team is number two for a reason. They don't have a plethora of weaknesses. For being an excellent shooting team, Duke is subpar at the line. That's because their two most frequent foul shooters, Demarcus Nelson and Gerald Henderson, both shoot poorly for a guard at just above 60% - worse than BOOM, the Terps' worst starting free throw shooter. Foul shooting crippled Duke early in their last game against Boston College as the Devils made just 2 of their first 10 shots from the charity stripe.
Maryland presents a bad matchup for the Blue Devils offensively with two strong post players in Boom Osby and James Gist. Duke simply has no answer for those two on its roster as was seen in the first matchup between the two teams, particularly in the first half. David McClure, Singler, and Lance Thomas are the post players on this team, and they have zero chance to guard either Maryland post player if Maryland's guards feed the post. Brian Zoubek saw his first action in months against BC, and at 7-1 he could help on the inside. But his extremely limited athleticism will negate the height advantage at least too some extent, even if he is able to play more than two minutes this game.
Verdict: It will be tough for the Terps to go down to Durham and win this one. Duke is 9-0 and has already survived a trip to College Park. Gary Williams is going to have to pull some magic out of that old silk hat to pull of the upset. Maryland needs bench production not just from Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie, but also SOMEONE on the inside to spell Gist and Osby. They also have to limit mistakes and continued their recent torrid shooting. I hate to bet against Gary, especially with the team on a roll.
Monday, February 11, 2008
It's OK. Only 6 people were hospitalized...
You should have seen the other guy.
Oh wait... it was a brick and cement bridge.
(c) 2008 Awwaz Falluby
Lowest of the Low
There is nothing like the adrenaline rush when the lights go down, newspaper is crumbled and thrown in the air, and Kernkraft 400 plays as the Terps highlight reel is shown onscreen overhead.
Yet, the only non-Duke game with that much pre-game electricity and excitement was last year’s upset of then fifth-ranked UNC. It’s just not the same when Comcast isn’t packed. It's just not the same when a large number of UMD students only care about the Duke game. That is why the only person lower on my list of most-hated University of Maryland students than the annoying kid who tries to correct the professor (see Steve and Andrew’s earlier posts) is the
Scan-and-Leaver.
For those unfamiliar with UMD’s online sport ticketing process, students can request a ticket online about two weeks before the game. If the total number of requests is greater than the number of student seats available (about 4,000 in Comcast Center and 10,000 at Byrd Stadium) then a lottery determines which students get seats to the game based on loyalty points accumulated during the season. One loyalty point is awarded if the game sells out (if more students request tickets than there are seats available), and two loyalty points are awarded if the game doesn’t sell out. The more loyalty points that students have, the greater chance they have of getting seats.
Football games at Byrd, even against ACC opponents, rarely require the lottery. This year’s primetime Thursday night matchup with highly ranked WVU on ESPN was the only game in the past two years in which more than 10,000 students requested tickets. Men’s Basketball games are a completely different story. Although students get the best seats in the house in the lower bowl, there are only a total of 4,000 available, including baseline seats on the Wall. Since the Terps play in the best basketball lig in the country, almost all conference games require the lottery system.
How does one acquire tickets to the important ACC games? By attending the non-conference games, the traditional blowouts against cupcake mid-majors (although this season Gary’s boys gave us an OT game and a loss to American). But for some students, these games are boring and uninteresting, and for some of these students, ACC conference play doesn’t matter at all. They only care about a single game with the New York Yankees of the ACC, the Duke Blue Devils. These students participate in a ritual deeply hated by true and loyal student fans: scanning and leaving. They merely walk into the student entrance of Comcast, have their ticket scanned to get loyalty points, walk to the nearest exit, and leave before even checking to see what’s going on down on the court below.
When ACC games come before the Duke game and students still proceed to scan and leave, two major problems arise: 1) some students who want to actually go see the game (what a concept, right?) are denied tickets by the idiots who only want loyalty points, and 2) the Comcast Center feels empty when not even half of the Wall is filled with students. So either the Duke game comes earlier, and those fraudulent fans never even watch the later games, or it comes late, and fans who want to see the other games are denied the opportunity. Either way, it’s a huge problem that the UMD Athletic Department needs to correct.
They have tried running a series of ads on the jumbo-tron before the start of games to discourage scanning and leaving which feature students discussing their favorite games that they would have missed had they scanned and left. Most of these are games that fans wouldn't scan and leave for anyways, such as last season's upset of UNC or one of the many upsets of Duke. The students sitting in Comcast two minutes before tip-off aren't the ones that need to hear this message though. This feeble attempt to persuade students not to scan and leave simply doesn't do enough.
One of the easiest ways to fix this problem is to simply add an additional barcode to the printed student ticket. In order to recieve the full loyalty point(s), students would have to have this secondary barcode scanned on the way out. Exit-scanners would start scanning tickets with ten minutes left in the game to ensure that students would have to stay and watch the majority of the game. Sure, in the event of a fire or emergency where the arena would have to be emptied quickly, tickets would not be scanned for safety reasons.
This proposed system may not be the answer, but steps must be taken to prevent scanning and leaving in the future. It is up to the Athletic Department to ensure that they won't get away with this. It's pissing off the loyal fans and destroying the spirit of Maryland Basketball.
Yet, the only non-Duke game with that much pre-game electricity and excitement was last year’s upset of then fifth-ranked UNC. It’s just not the same when Comcast isn’t packed. It's just not the same when a large number of UMD students only care about the Duke game. That is why the only person lower on my list of most-hated University of Maryland students than the annoying kid who tries to correct the professor (see Steve and Andrew’s earlier posts) is the
Scan-and-Leaver.
For those unfamiliar with UMD’s online sport ticketing process, students can request a ticket online about two weeks before the game. If the total number of requests is greater than the number of student seats available (about 4,000 in Comcast Center and 10,000 at Byrd Stadium) then a lottery determines which students get seats to the game based on loyalty points accumulated during the season. One loyalty point is awarded if the game sells out (if more students request tickets than there are seats available), and two loyalty points are awarded if the game doesn’t sell out. The more loyalty points that students have, the greater chance they have of getting seats.
Football games at Byrd, even against ACC opponents, rarely require the lottery. This year’s primetime Thursday night matchup with highly ranked WVU on ESPN was the only game in the past two years in which more than 10,000 students requested tickets. Men’s Basketball games are a completely different story. Although students get the best seats in the house in the lower bowl, there are only a total of 4,000 available, including baseline seats on the Wall. Since the Terps play in the best basketball lig in the country, almost all conference games require the lottery system.
How does one acquire tickets to the important ACC games? By attending the non-conference games, the traditional blowouts against cupcake mid-majors (although this season Gary’s boys gave us an OT game and a loss to American). But for some students, these games are boring and uninteresting, and for some of these students, ACC conference play doesn’t matter at all. They only care about a single game with the New York Yankees of the ACC, the Duke Blue Devils. These students participate in a ritual deeply hated by true and loyal student fans: scanning and leaving. They merely walk into the student entrance of Comcast, have their ticket scanned to get loyalty points, walk to the nearest exit, and leave before even checking to see what’s going on down on the court below.
When ACC games come before the Duke game and students still proceed to scan and leave, two major problems arise: 1) some students who want to actually go see the game (what a concept, right?) are denied tickets by the idiots who only want loyalty points, and 2) the Comcast Center feels empty when not even half of the Wall is filled with students. So either the Duke game comes earlier, and those fraudulent fans never even watch the later games, or it comes late, and fans who want to see the other games are denied the opportunity. Either way, it’s a huge problem that the UMD Athletic Department needs to correct.
They have tried running a series of ads on the jumbo-tron before the start of games to discourage scanning and leaving which feature students discussing their favorite games that they would have missed had they scanned and left. Most of these are games that fans wouldn't scan and leave for anyways, such as last season's upset of UNC or one of the many upsets of Duke. The students sitting in Comcast two minutes before tip-off aren't the ones that need to hear this message though. This feeble attempt to persuade students not to scan and leave simply doesn't do enough.
One of the easiest ways to fix this problem is to simply add an additional barcode to the printed student ticket. In order to recieve the full loyalty point(s), students would have to have this secondary barcode scanned on the way out. Exit-scanners would start scanning tickets with ten minutes left in the game to ensure that students would have to stay and watch the majority of the game. Sure, in the event of a fire or emergency where the arena would have to be emptied quickly, tickets would not be scanned for safety reasons.
This proposed system may not be the answer, but steps must be taken to prevent scanning and leaving in the future. It is up to the Athletic Department to ensure that they won't get away with this. It's pissing off the loyal fans and destroying the spirit of Maryland Basketball.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
600
Gary Williams is a baller. That is the mantra of this blog.
On Wednesday night he won his 600th career game, becoming the 8th active Division I coach to reach that mark. Along the way there have been tons of awesome wins, including about 53,000 against #1 ranked teams. So to commemorate Coach Williams on his milestone victory, here is the Official Says Things Top Nine Gary Williams Victories. Why 9? Because Gary Williams will win 900 games. Or because I'm lazy.
9. 1/8/97 - @ North Carolina, 85-75 - Chapel Hill, NC. I think I remember this one. I might have listened to Johnny Holliday call in on the radio back in the dark days before my parents sprung for cable. The Tar Heels were led by some pretty good players at the time, including Antawn Jamison and Shammond Williams. They took a commanding 22 point lead on the Terps with less than 15 minutes to go in the game. Game over, right? Not so fast. The Terps went on a game ending 41-9 run to complete the improbable comeback, led by 21 points from sophomore Obinna Ekezie. The assholes at Youtube don't even have a clip of this game because Dean Smith ate it in a fit of petulance.
8. 11/26/93 - vs Georgetown, 84-83 - Washington, DC. The Hoyas and the Terps are the two superpowers of Washington area basketball, always competing indirectly for coverage and recruits despite being in different conferences and playing only sporadically. Up until the '93-'94 season, the Hoyas - home to players like Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning - were THE dominant team in the era while Maryland struggled through the Bob Wade era and the Sanctions era. But a freshman from Virginia named Joe Smith made his debut in this game to the tune of 26 points as the Terps pulled out a last second win on the back of a Duane Simpkins game winner. Move over John Thompson, Gary Williams is the new man in charge.
7. 1/19/08 - at North Carolina, 82-80 - Chapel Hill, NC. At the time there were questions about whether or not the Terps would even make the NIT. It was a true David vs. Goliath matchup, especially with starting guard Eric Hayes limited to a bench role by injury. But Gary Williams is a baller and Roy Williams is not. The game plan was excellent and the execution was even better. Boom Osby hit a late layup to put away the top ranked Tar Heel and the season turned around as the buzzer sounded.
6. 3/19/94 - vs Massachusetts, 95-87 - NCAA Second Round - Wichita, KS. The Terrapins went finished the 1994 season at 18-12, good enough for a 10 seed and their first tournament appearance since 1988. After dispatching Saint Louis in the first round, the Terps faced the highly ranked, second seeded Minutemen. Joe Smith > Marcus Camby although Camby won the individual battle. Gary Williams >> John Calipari. The Terps were back in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in a decade.
5. 3/14/04 - vs Duke, 95-87, OT - ACC Championship - Greensboro, NC. What a game. This was Gary Williams first, and so far only, ACC tournament championship and just the third overall for the Terps. After an up and down regular season, the team went down to Tobacco Road and beat highly ranked Wake Forest and North Carolina State teams to set up another matchup with rival Duke. This game had it all as John Gilchrist and Jamar Smith led the team with 25 points apiece and even Mike Grinnon got in on the action with crucial free throws down the stretch. What a game.
4. 1/19/97 - @ Wake Forest, 54-51 - Winston-Salem, NC. One of my favorite Terp wins ever. Wake Forest was ranked number two and undefeated at the time with superstar senior Tim Duncan leading the way. Boy did I hate him. Maryland had a very good senior of its own in PF Keith Booth. Even if you became a fan in 2002 you know that name. The Deacons made a huge comeback to tie the game at 51 after being down double digits at the half. The Terps gave the ball to star Keith Booth on the last possession to work on the inside. Booth kicked it out to SF Laron Profit who hit a buzzer beating three to seal the deal and shock Wake Forest.
3. 2/17/02 - vs Duke, 87-73 - College Park, MD. Everyone with a functioning brain knew that the Terps were the top team in the country in 2002. Poll voters are apparently among those that had lobotomies as Duke was ranked #1 at the time. A 21 point win for the Blue Devils in Durham also had something to do with that perception. But the Terps were not to be denied behind a career high 23 points from Chris Wilcox. And yet somehow the #3 Terps didn't hop to number one the next week, settling in at #2 behind Kansas.
2. 3/24/01 - vs Stanford, 87-73 - Elite Eight - Anaheim, CA. Lefty Driesell coached at Maryland for nearly two decades and although he promised to make Maryland the "UCLA of the East" and had tons of success, he never made the Final Four. Gary Williams had taken his Maryland team to seven straight NCAA tournaments without getting to the final weekend. But after this day the Terps were no longer The Best Program Never to Make a Final Four. Before this game people actually thought that Casey Jacobson was a better player than Juan F. Dixon. And somehow I missed this game to play for my crappy CYO basketball team.
1. 4/1/02 - vs Indiana, 64-52 - National Championship - Atlanta, GA. Gary Williams crowning moment. The night that Maryland went from a very good program to one of the brand names in college hoops. The game itself wasn't that great. Indiana wasn't a top 5 team that year, and Terps only scored 64 points despite averaging over 80 for the season. But none of that matters to any Terp fan because the team had finally won a championship. Who can forget Johnny Holliday telling us that "THE KIDS HAVE DONE IT!"
On Wednesday night he won his 600th career game, becoming the 8th active Division I coach to reach that mark. Along the way there have been tons of awesome wins, including about 53,000 against #1 ranked teams. So to commemorate Coach Williams on his milestone victory, here is the Official Says Things Top Nine Gary Williams Victories. Why 9? Because Gary Williams will win 900 games. Or because I'm lazy.
9. 1/8/97 - @ North Carolina, 85-75 - Chapel Hill, NC. I think I remember this one. I might have listened to Johnny Holliday call in on the radio back in the dark days before my parents sprung for cable. The Tar Heels were led by some pretty good players at the time, including Antawn Jamison and Shammond Williams. They took a commanding 22 point lead on the Terps with less than 15 minutes to go in the game. Game over, right? Not so fast. The Terps went on a game ending 41-9 run to complete the improbable comeback, led by 21 points from sophomore Obinna Ekezie. The assholes at Youtube don't even have a clip of this game because Dean Smith ate it in a fit of petulance.
8. 11/26/93 - vs Georgetown, 84-83 - Washington, DC. The Hoyas and the Terps are the two superpowers of Washington area basketball, always competing indirectly for coverage and recruits despite being in different conferences and playing only sporadically. Up until the '93-'94 season, the Hoyas - home to players like Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning - were THE dominant team in the era while Maryland struggled through the Bob Wade era and the Sanctions era. But a freshman from Virginia named Joe Smith made his debut in this game to the tune of 26 points as the Terps pulled out a last second win on the back of a Duane Simpkins game winner. Move over John Thompson, Gary Williams is the new man in charge.
7. 1/19/08 - at North Carolina, 82-80 - Chapel Hill, NC. At the time there were questions about whether or not the Terps would even make the NIT. It was a true David vs. Goliath matchup, especially with starting guard Eric Hayes limited to a bench role by injury. But Gary Williams is a baller and Roy Williams is not. The game plan was excellent and the execution was even better. Boom Osby hit a late layup to put away the top ranked Tar Heel and the season turned around as the buzzer sounded.
6. 3/19/94 - vs Massachusetts, 95-87 - NCAA Second Round - Wichita, KS. The Terrapins went finished the 1994 season at 18-12, good enough for a 10 seed and their first tournament appearance since 1988. After dispatching Saint Louis in the first round, the Terps faced the highly ranked, second seeded Minutemen. Joe Smith > Marcus Camby although Camby won the individual battle. Gary Williams >> John Calipari. The Terps were back in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in a decade.
5. 3/14/04 - vs Duke, 95-87, OT - ACC Championship - Greensboro, NC. What a game. This was Gary Williams first, and so far only, ACC tournament championship and just the third overall for the Terps. After an up and down regular season, the team went down to Tobacco Road and beat highly ranked Wake Forest and North Carolina State teams to set up another matchup with rival Duke. This game had it all as John Gilchrist and Jamar Smith led the team with 25 points apiece and even Mike Grinnon got in on the action with crucial free throws down the stretch. What a game.
4. 1/19/97 - @ Wake Forest, 54-51 - Winston-Salem, NC. One of my favorite Terp wins ever. Wake Forest was ranked number two and undefeated at the time with superstar senior Tim Duncan leading the way. Boy did I hate him. Maryland had a very good senior of its own in PF Keith Booth. Even if you became a fan in 2002 you know that name. The Deacons made a huge comeback to tie the game at 51 after being down double digits at the half. The Terps gave the ball to star Keith Booth on the last possession to work on the inside. Booth kicked it out to SF Laron Profit who hit a buzzer beating three to seal the deal and shock Wake Forest.
3. 2/17/02 - vs Duke, 87-73 - College Park, MD. Everyone with a functioning brain knew that the Terps were the top team in the country in 2002. Poll voters are apparently among those that had lobotomies as Duke was ranked #1 at the time. A 21 point win for the Blue Devils in Durham also had something to do with that perception. But the Terps were not to be denied behind a career high 23 points from Chris Wilcox. And yet somehow the #3 Terps didn't hop to number one the next week, settling in at #2 behind Kansas.
2. 3/24/01 - vs Stanford, 87-73 - Elite Eight - Anaheim, CA. Lefty Driesell coached at Maryland for nearly two decades and although he promised to make Maryland the "UCLA of the East" and had tons of success, he never made the Final Four. Gary Williams had taken his Maryland team to seven straight NCAA tournaments without getting to the final weekend. But after this day the Terps were no longer The Best Program Never to Make a Final Four. Before this game people actually thought that Casey Jacobson was a better player than Juan F. Dixon. And somehow I missed this game to play for my crappy CYO basketball team.
1. 4/1/02 - vs Indiana, 64-52 - National Championship - Atlanta, GA. Gary Williams crowning moment. The night that Maryland went from a very good program to one of the brand names in college hoops. The game itself wasn't that great. Indiana wasn't a top 5 team that year, and Terps only scored 64 points despite averaging over 80 for the season. But none of that matters to any Terp fan because the team had finally won a championship. Who can forget Johnny Holliday telling us that "THE KIDS HAVE DONE IT!"
The Five NFL Franchises You Won't Meet in Heaven
With parity the way it is in the NFL, there is no reason franchises should go extended periods of time without deep playoff runs. However, these franchises prove that even in a league set up for mediocrity people can still find a way to ruin things. It's not necessarily complete suckage in the past decade or so that will get organizations on this list, but the inability to properly run a franchise and put teams that meet the franchises potential out there on the field. These franchises have proved over the past decade that they can not run things the way they need to be run. Some have owners that fail to leave the football decisions to the football people, others have terrible personnel people incapable of making said football decisions, while others just seem like they can't do anything right with their team.
Honorable Mention: Falcons: I feel sorry for Arthur Blank, I really do. This man has tried to do everything to put a consistent winner out there on the field. But so far he's just been screwed over left and right. The man stood up for Michael Vick since he drafted him, only to see Michael Vick bring down the franchise with him. He hired a high-profile college coach to try to improve Michael Vick as a quarterback. But he got screwed over by the coach as well. The franchise looks like it will have to rebuild for several years to become a contender again. And while Blank has made some poor decisions to lead to it, its hard to not feel bad for an owner that only wants the best for his team and their fans.
5) Bengals: For these team you can really point the finger at any one person. The simple fact is that the organization is flawed as a whole. The team is made up of thugs who have been part of over a dozen arrests in the past two years (WR Chris Henry five times himself). Their star player is at odds with the coach and is demanding a trade. Their coach is hailed as a defensive genius but can't turn around one of the worst defenses in the league. On the field the players play undisciplined football, costing their team with unnecessary penalties. Off the field, besides their arrests, they appear to be more worried about trash talking than following a proper game plan. With the thugs on their roster, the state of the relationship between the coaches, players and front office, this team is going nowhere fast.
4) Lions: How Matt Millen still has a job as an NFL GM is beyond anyone's guess. The man simply has no clue as to how to build a football team. Using four at of five straight first-round draft picks on wide receivers will not get you many wins in this league. Especially when you don't get a quarterback to get them a ball or a line to protect that quarterback. If the ball never reaches the receivers what good are they? This team will never be as good as they could be with the receiving corps they have if Matt Millen doesn't learn to build from the inside out. Only time (and this year's draft) will tell.
3) Cardinals: This team appeared to be heading in the right direction. A good head coach, a young quarterback, veteran running back, stud wide-outs, and a scrappy defense. But just when things seemed like they would be working out, news leaked out that Larry Fitzgerald (one of the receivers) is due to receive over $16 million a year as his base salary average for next two years. His salary is so high due to the back-loaded, incentive laden way his contract was structured. How could the front office agree to a contract where this was even a plausible scenario. What kind of incentives do you give a first round draft pick? Shouldn't he be reaching these marks anyway as a star-player. Incentives are usually reserved for older players as a way to get them to sign to a lower base salary in order to save cap space. The Cardinals front office is therefore on this list for this contract and this contract alone (oh and the fact that they haven't reached the playoffs in a decade).
2) Redskins: Dan Snyder is an idiot (see current head coaching fiasco as well as inability to not trade draft picks for expensive over-rated past their prime players).
1) Raiders: Al Davis is an even bigger idiot (example here.)
Honorable Mention: Falcons: I feel sorry for Arthur Blank, I really do. This man has tried to do everything to put a consistent winner out there on the field. But so far he's just been screwed over left and right. The man stood up for Michael Vick since he drafted him, only to see Michael Vick bring down the franchise with him. He hired a high-profile college coach to try to improve Michael Vick as a quarterback. But he got screwed over by the coach as well. The franchise looks like it will have to rebuild for several years to become a contender again. And while Blank has made some poor decisions to lead to it, its hard to not feel bad for an owner that only wants the best for his team and their fans.
5) Bengals: For these team you can really point the finger at any one person. The simple fact is that the organization is flawed as a whole. The team is made up of thugs who have been part of over a dozen arrests in the past two years (WR Chris Henry five times himself). Their star player is at odds with the coach and is demanding a trade. Their coach is hailed as a defensive genius but can't turn around one of the worst defenses in the league. On the field the players play undisciplined football, costing their team with unnecessary penalties. Off the field, besides their arrests, they appear to be more worried about trash talking than following a proper game plan. With the thugs on their roster, the state of the relationship between the coaches, players and front office, this team is going nowhere fast.4) Lions: How Matt Millen still has a job as an NFL GM is beyond anyone's guess. The man simply has no clue as to how to build a football team. Using four at of five straight first-round draft picks on wide receivers will not get you many wins in this league. Especially when you don't get a quarterback to get them a ball or a line to protect that quarterback. If the ball never reaches the receivers what good are they? This team will never be as good as they could be with the receiving corps they have if Matt Millen doesn't learn to build from the inside out. Only time (and this year's draft) will tell.
3) Cardinals: This team appeared to be heading in the right direction. A good head coach, a young quarterback, veteran running back, stud wide-outs, and a scrappy defense. But just when things seemed like they would be working out, news leaked out that Larry Fitzgerald (one of the receivers) is due to receive over $16 million a year as his base salary average for next two years. His salary is so high due to the back-loaded, incentive laden way his contract was structured. How could the front office agree to a contract where this was even a plausible scenario. What kind of incentives do you give a first round draft pick? Shouldn't he be reaching these marks anyway as a star-player. Incentives are usually reserved for older players as a way to get them to sign to a lower base salary in order to save cap space. The Cardinals front office is therefore on this list for this contract and this contract alone (oh and the fact that they haven't reached the playoffs in a decade).
2) Redskins: Dan Snyder is an idiot (see current head coaching fiasco as well as inability to not trade draft picks for expensive over-rated past their prime players).
1) Raiders: Al Davis is an even bigger idiot (example here.)
Songs That Should Be in Rockband
Rockband is such a great game. It's ability to mix social interactivity (a great plus for cellar dwelling gamers) and music-esque ability has made it a fun game to play and a hit among gamers and casual players alike. Although the track list for the game is extensive and encompasses a broad array of genres, it could still use some more killer songs. Ideally this would be every song ever made ever. But that's really unfeasible and totally not realistic. So here's my list of the songs that I think should be on Rockband, in no particular order.
1) Highway to Hell by AC/DC. Really this should be every song by AC/DC, but the licenses for all those songs would be astronomical. Really that's the reason why a lot of songs on this list aren't in Rockband, because either the band's won't license the songs to the game's producers or they will but only at some exorbitant fee. This song has everything though. A strong guitar riff, crashing drums, and killer vocals. Of course so many AC/DC songs have that same formula with a great guitar riff (see: Back In Black) but this song makes it on to Rockband for the sheer fact that whoever is on vocals gets to belt out "I'm on the hiiiiiiiighway to HELL."
2) Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. If I need to explain this, then you shouldn't be playing Rockband. Although Zeppelin almost never licenses out their music, (iTunes just got their music a few months ago) it's a crying shame that the greatest rock band isn't even in Rockband. Although not every song they have could be included due to the huge variety of instruments used by the band, there are still plenty of great songs to choose from. Although not my personal favorite Houses of the Holy this one still has it's merits. Great lyrics? Check. Rock-out sections? Check. Mellow melodies? Check. Great f*ckin guitar solo? CHECK. Get the Led out on Rockband? Check.
3) Hot for Teacher by Van Halen. I wanna see the drummer sweat. I know, I know you need a double pedal to d
o this right, but it still would be so great to see the drummer work his ass off to play this song. Thats not to say that the guitar part is a hum-drum part. And who doesn't want to be Diamond Dave? Hell, I'm doing flying kicks in the air right now. As with the previous bands on this list, there are so many songs to choose from, like Panama or even Pretty Woman (itself a cover of Roy Orbison which would be at least interesting to play). Sadly, I can only choose one song, so I've gotta go with this.
4) In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins. "But Andrew," you might say, "what the hell is with Phil Collins? Isn't that soft wuss-rock?" Probably. But I don't care. That's the great thing about Rockband. It can take on so many genres of music. Even Phil Collins. Yeah, this song is slow. Yeah, this song is sorta repetitive. Yeah, this song probably won't be played by a lot of people. But I'll play. This song is great because it just builds and builds and and finally has a huge payoff. Listen to this song at about 3:40. If those drums don't set you off then you don't have blood flowing in your veins. This song would suck on Guitar Hero. It would be alright on Karaoke Revolution. But the ability to play the drums on Rockband and actually rock out to this song make a necessary to have on the game. [Edit: This video should explain my reasoning. Skip to about 3 minutes in to see what I mean]
5) Welcome to the Jungle by Guns n' Roses. What's strange about this is that this song was being played in leaked demo videos for Rockband. Apparently, there's some sort of rights battle between Activision and Harmonix, the makers of Guitar Hero and Rockband. This song is a blast to play in GH3, and I really wanna see it in Rockband. We've had the opportunity to be Slash, now let us be Mr. Rose.
6) The Metallica Bundle by Metallica. Just get it already Ritchie.
7) Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. The greatest of all anthem rock songs, Queen's epic song has to be included in Rockband. Everyone sings it anyway and everyone has their own version. Only now to we get to use computerized graphics and cues to tell us how bad we're doing when we're trying to emulate Freddie Mercury. We've always wanted to be like Wayne and Garth in the Gremlin, and not we finally get a chance to do so. This is no short song, but I'm pretty sure it would be one of the most played songs on Rockband just because it's such a fun, enjoyable song to perform.
8) Layla by Derek and the Dominos. I was debating between this song and Cocaine. This song has a much better riff though and I'd love to play it on guitar, real or otherwise. The only problem is the 40-minute piano solo in the middle of the song. I don't really know how this gets done. Maybe a keyboard peripheral? Or perhaps we just get the acoustic version. Either way, there are enough Clapton songs in the Guitar Hero series, so it's time they came to Rockband. Speaking of Clapton...
9) Any song by Jimi Hendrix. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This isn't Guitar Hero. I don't need guitar gods on here. But this isn't your list so I don't care. There aren't many songs by Hendrix or his experience that are heavy on vocals. That may make it a problem to create a song in Rockband. But the world needs more psychedelic rock. Jimi is only too happy to provide it. It's gonna be a lot of fun to play his guitar riffs, and although he doesn't have many lyrics, they're still interesting and a challenge to sing.
10) Feeling This by Blink-182. Blink-182 is actually a good band. Especially in their latter albums. They produced some really good songs, Feeling This being a prime example. The great thing about the band that transports to the game is that there are only three instruments in the band: guitar, bass, and drums. Because of this limitation in instruments, it means that each one comes in with greater strength then if there were several more instruments. That means that all instrument parts in this song are gonna be fun to play and contribute to the overall song. Not to mention that the vocals and lyrics to this song are interesting and diverse.
The thing with a lot of these songs is that it's not so much that the song should be included (it should) but the band is not even on the game. This needs to be fixed pronto. In addition to the songs included here, there are plenty of songs by bands that are already on Rockband that aren't included but should be.
1) Highway to Hell by AC/DC. Really this should be every song by AC/DC, but the licenses for all those songs would be astronomical. Really that's the reason why a lot of songs on this list aren't in Rockband, because either the band's won't license the songs to the game's producers or they will but only at some exorbitant fee. This song has everything though. A strong guitar riff, crashing drums, and killer vocals. Of course so many AC/DC songs have that same formula with a great guitar riff (see: Back In Black) but this song makes it on to Rockband for the sheer fact that whoever is on vocals gets to belt out "I'm on the hiiiiiiiighway to HELL."
2) Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. If I need to explain this, then you shouldn't be playing Rockband. Although Zeppelin almost never licenses out their music, (iTunes just got their music a few months ago) it's a crying shame that the greatest rock band isn't even in Rockband. Although not every song they have could be included due to the huge variety of instruments used by the band, there are still plenty of great songs to choose from. Although not my personal favorite Houses of the Holy this one still has it's merits. Great lyrics? Check. Rock-out sections? Check. Mellow melodies? Check. Great f*ckin guitar solo? CHECK. Get the Led out on Rockband? Check.
3) Hot for Teacher by Van Halen. I wanna see the drummer sweat. I know, I know you need a double pedal to d
o this right, but it still would be so great to see the drummer work his ass off to play this song. Thats not to say that the guitar part is a hum-drum part. And who doesn't want to be Diamond Dave? Hell, I'm doing flying kicks in the air right now. As with the previous bands on this list, there are so many songs to choose from, like Panama or even Pretty Woman (itself a cover of Roy Orbison which would be at least interesting to play). Sadly, I can only choose one song, so I've gotta go with this.4) In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins. "But Andrew," you might say, "what the hell is with Phil Collins? Isn't that soft wuss-rock?" Probably. But I don't care. That's the great thing about Rockband. It can take on so many genres of music. Even Phil Collins. Yeah, this song is slow. Yeah, this song is sorta repetitive. Yeah, this song probably won't be played by a lot of people. But I'll play. This song is great because it just builds and builds and and finally has a huge payoff. Listen to this song at about 3:40. If those drums don't set you off then you don't have blood flowing in your veins. This song would suck on Guitar Hero. It would be alright on Karaoke Revolution. But the ability to play the drums on Rockband and actually rock out to this song make a necessary to have on the game. [Edit: This video should explain my reasoning. Skip to about 3 minutes in to see what I mean]
5) Welcome to the Jungle by Guns n' Roses. What's strange about this is that this song was being played in leaked demo videos for Rockband. Apparently, there's some sort of rights battle between Activision and Harmonix, the makers of Guitar Hero and Rockband. This song is a blast to play in GH3, and I really wanna see it in Rockband. We've had the opportunity to be Slash, now let us be Mr. Rose.
6) The Metallica Bundle by Metallica. Just get it already Ritchie.
7) Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. The greatest of all anthem rock songs, Queen's epic song has to be included in Rockband. Everyone sings it anyway and everyone has their own version. Only now to we get to use computerized graphics and cues to tell us how bad we're doing when we're trying to emulate Freddie Mercury. We've always wanted to be like Wayne and Garth in the Gremlin, and not we finally get a chance to do so. This is no short song, but I'm pretty sure it would be one of the most played songs on Rockband just because it's such a fun, enjoyable song to perform.
8) Layla by Derek and the Dominos. I was debating between this song and Cocaine. This song has a much better riff though and I'd love to play it on guitar, real or otherwise. The only problem is the 40-minute piano solo in the middle of the song. I don't really know how this gets done. Maybe a keyboard peripheral? Or perhaps we just get the acoustic version. Either way, there are enough Clapton songs in the Guitar Hero series, so it's time they came to Rockband. Speaking of Clapton...
9) Any song by Jimi Hendrix. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This isn't Guitar Hero. I don't need guitar gods on here. But this isn't your list so I don't care. There aren't many songs by Hendrix or his experience that are heavy on vocals. That may make it a problem to create a song in Rockband. But the world needs more psychedelic rock. Jimi is only too happy to provide it. It's gonna be a lot of fun to play his guitar riffs, and although he doesn't have many lyrics, they're still interesting and a challenge to sing.
10) Feeling This by Blink-182. Blink-182 is actually a good band. Especially in their latter albums. They produced some really good songs, Feeling This being a prime example. The great thing about the band that transports to the game is that there are only three instruments in the band: guitar, bass, and drums. Because of this limitation in instruments, it means that each one comes in with greater strength then if there were several more instruments. That means that all instrument parts in this song are gonna be fun to play and contribute to the overall song. Not to mention that the vocals and lyrics to this song are interesting and diverse.
The thing with a lot of these songs is that it's not so much that the song should be included (it should) but the band is not even on the game. This needs to be fixed pronto. In addition to the songs included here, there are plenty of songs by bands that are already on Rockband that aren't included but should be.
Your One (and Only) Top Ten 2008 Movie Forecast
10) Forgetting Sarah Marshall- Several other movies could have gone in the ten spot, including Speed Racer and Valkyrie (even though the movie contains Tom Cruise). But I put the comedy in because I felt I already had enough action/adventure movies in the list. The trailer has been out for a little while now and is pretty funny, so check it out. The movie looks like it will have similar tone to Knocked Up, in that it will try to balance the comedy with a true feel good story. And judging from everyone's reaction to Knocked Up, this movie should be a good one too.
9) Fanboys- This movie hasn't received much publicity, but it contains an interesting plot. A group of friends attempt to steal a rough copy of the Phantom of the Menace for their sick friend in 1999. George Lucas saw an early copy of this movie, giving it his own seal of approval. However this doesn't necessarily mean that it will be a good movie seeing as Lucas also approved of Star Wars Episodes I and II. This should still be a fun movie for any Star Wars fan as well as those who have never seen a Star Wars movie. If for nothing else watch for Kristen Bell in a Leia circa Return of the Jedi outfit (Heroes really needs to come back).
8) Prince Caspian- I know its a children's book (sort of) and its a fantasy movie. But the imagery, metaphors, and special effects make it a fun movie to watch. While the audience and the age of the characters limits how far the movie can go, the movie should be very well written and acted making it a safe bet to please.
7) Sex and the City- Because who doesn't want to watch middle-aged women getting dirty on the silver screen. I know, that sh*t is gross. That's why you should see the new Incredible Hulk instead. I know the last Hulk was terrible, but to be fair it was made by a man who ruined the image of cowboys for little boys everywhere. This Hulk interpretation should be much better with Edward Norton on board as Bruce Banner and Tim Roth on to portray KGB agent Emil Blonsky/Abomination. The casting this time around is better, save for maybe Liv Tyler who takes on the role of Banner's love interest, held in the last film by Jennifer Connelly. Also look for a cameo by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark as Marvel Comics tries to integrate their Marvel Universe into their films.
6) The Pineapple Express- Another Judd Apatow production makes the list. And why not? The man currently owns Hollywood comedy. Seth Rogen is again along for the ride as one of the main characters. With him is James Franco who I am excited to see play a comedic role in a movie. Not too much is known about the plot of the film other than Rogen and Franco play two stoners who get caught up in murder committed by a corrupt officer and a gang. This movie is so high on the list because of the faith I have in all of the parties involved. This has the potential to be hilarious or a flop, but with a script penned by Rogen and Evan Goldberg (co-wrote Superbad) it will hopefully prove to not be the latter.
5) Indiana Jones- Harrison Ford is old, I know. He's really old, I get it. Ford is too old to play an action hero. Disagree. While his character is the same his role in the movie will be changed to adapt to his age. His stunts won't be absurd for a man in his sixties and there are supposed to be jokes a plenty about his age. The cast surrounding Ford will fit their roles well, including Shia Lebouf as Indy's sidekick and Cate Blanchett as a Soviet Agent (the movie takes place in 1957). While the movie won't win any Oscars (Lucas has gone on record saying that critics will hate it; they won't hate it any more than said Lucas movies mentioned above) it should still be a very enjoyable movie to watch.
4) Iron Man- Syncing the trailer up with the music of Black Sabbath (the song Iron Man) was a great choice. It turned a trailer which was already awesome (though a lack of the villain prevented it from being the best trailer so far) into one of the best in recent memory (topped only by number one on our list). Robert Downey Jr. is a great choice for the role of Iron Man/Tony Stark (besides the fact that each have had their trouble with alcohol) as is an imposing Jeff Bridges as the villain Obadiah Stane. Comic movies are finally catching on to the fact that good ensemble casts and great scripts lead to awesome movies. It would appear that this is no exception as director Jon Favreau is completely indulged in the project.
3) Half-Blood Prince- The Half-Blood Prince is probably the book that translates the best to the big screen. With a plethora of back story, plot twists, and the best battle scene of the series at the end, this book seems like it was made for the big screen. Now that the actors and characters are pretty much adults, the movie can expand to a darker, more exciting style. Several of the most iconic moments of the series occur in this book and will hopefully be included in the movie. This may likely prove to be the best movie of the entire series (especially if they split the last book into two separate movies.
2) Quantum of Solace- After the wild critical and monetary success of Casino Royale we will be treated to the first true 007 sequel. The beginning of Quantum of Solace will literally take place twenty minutes after the end of Casino Royale. This is great news for any Bond fan who
enjoyed the last film as much as I did. Daniel Craig returns as Bond himself; joined by Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton as the Bond girls (they play a girl on a vendetta and a MI-6 agent, respectively) as well as Mathieu Amalric who portrays the villain. The producers promise twice the action as well as a villain who is Bond's physical and intellectual equal.
Most people are upset at the naming of this film, but those who have read the books understand why this title was chosen. Quantum of Solace is a short story in the Ian Fleming book For Your Eyes Only. The short story itself will not be used as a plot device in the movie, but it's the meaning of the story that connects with Bond as a character. After he is betrayed by his love in the last film Bond is no longer a man capable of emotion. He feels isolated from the world and no longer trusts anyone. In the short story Bond learns of a man who feels the same way after he leaves his wife due to her affair. Fleming calls a ll of this a "Quantum of Solace". Thus the title, though it still may sound dumb, is very meaningful to the plot and character development in the film. If you need more clarification read the books and watch the films. This film would have been my most anticipated film for 2008 if it wasn't for the amazing trailer and marketing of...
1) The Dark Knight- If trailers are an indicator of a movie then this may be the greatest film ever. Of course trailers are never indicative of how good a movie really would be, though this should be an exception. Add in a very deep viral marketing campaign and this movie is buzzing. Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker will continue the dark edge that Batman Begins started (hopefully his tragic death will not change the way the movie is edited and marketed too much; it would be a greater disservice to his memory to ruin a role he worked so hard at). This is great for the franchise as it returns the series to the comics darker roots. Look for this to get great reviews from critics and fans alike. With the best cast ever assembled for a comic-based movie and a plot that is sure to be full of twists, action, and intrigue this is the movie I'm most looking forward to in 2008.
9) Fanboys- This movie hasn't received much publicity, but it contains an interesting plot. A group of friends attempt to steal a rough copy of the Phantom of the Menace for their sick friend in 1999. George Lucas saw an early copy of this movie, giving it his own seal of approval. However this doesn't necessarily mean that it will be a good movie seeing as Lucas also approved of Star Wars Episodes I and II. This should still be a fun movie for any Star Wars fan as well as those who have never seen a Star Wars movie. If for nothing else watch for Kristen Bell in a Leia circa Return of the Jedi outfit (Heroes really needs to come back).
8) Prince Caspian- I know its a children's book (sort of) and its a fantasy movie. But the imagery, metaphors, and special effects make it a fun movie to watch. While the audience and the age of the characters limits how far the movie can go, the movie should be very well written and acted making it a safe bet to please.
7) Sex and the City- Because who doesn't want to watch middle-aged women getting dirty on the silver screen. I know, that sh*t is gross. That's why you should see the new Incredible Hulk instead. I know the last Hulk was terrible, but to be fair it was made by a man who ruined the image of cowboys for little boys everywhere. This Hulk interpretation should be much better with Edward Norton on board as Bruce Banner and Tim Roth on to portray KGB agent Emil Blonsky/Abomination. The casting this time around is better, save for maybe Liv Tyler who takes on the role of Banner's love interest, held in the last film by Jennifer Connelly. Also look for a cameo by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark as Marvel Comics tries to integrate their Marvel Universe into their films.
6) The Pineapple Express- Another Judd Apatow production makes the list. And why not? The man currently owns Hollywood comedy. Seth Rogen is again along for the ride as one of the main characters. With him is James Franco who I am excited to see play a comedic role in a movie. Not too much is known about the plot of the film other than Rogen and Franco play two stoners who get caught up in murder committed by a corrupt officer and a gang. This movie is so high on the list because of the faith I have in all of the parties involved. This has the potential to be hilarious or a flop, but with a script penned by Rogen and Evan Goldberg (co-wrote Superbad) it will hopefully prove to not be the latter.
5) Indiana Jones- Harrison Ford is old, I know. He's really old, I get it. Ford is too old to play an action hero. Disagree. While his character is the same his role in the movie will be changed to adapt to his age. His stunts won't be absurd for a man in his sixties and there are supposed to be jokes a plenty about his age. The cast surrounding Ford will fit their roles well, including Shia Lebouf as Indy's sidekick and Cate Blanchett as a Soviet Agent (the movie takes place in 1957). While the movie won't win any Oscars (Lucas has gone on record saying that critics will hate it; they won't hate it any more than said Lucas movies mentioned above) it should still be a very enjoyable movie to watch.
4) Iron Man- Syncing the trailer up with the music of Black Sabbath (the song Iron Man) was a great choice. It turned a trailer which was already awesome (though a lack of the villain prevented it from being the best trailer so far) into one of the best in recent memory (topped only by number one on our list). Robert Downey Jr. is a great choice for the role of Iron Man/Tony Stark (besides the fact that each have had their trouble with alcohol) as is an imposing Jeff Bridges as the villain Obadiah Stane. Comic movies are finally catching on to the fact that good ensemble casts and great scripts lead to awesome movies. It would appear that this is no exception as director Jon Favreau is completely indulged in the project.
3) Half-Blood Prince- The Half-Blood Prince is probably the book that translates the best to the big screen. With a plethora of back story, plot twists, and the best battle scene of the series at the end, this book seems like it was made for the big screen. Now that the actors and characters are pretty much adults, the movie can expand to a darker, more exciting style. Several of the most iconic moments of the series occur in this book and will hopefully be included in the movie. This may likely prove to be the best movie of the entire series (especially if they split the last book into two separate movies.
2) Quantum of Solace- After the wild critical and monetary success of Casino Royale we will be treated to the first true 007 sequel. The beginning of Quantum of Solace will literally take place twenty minutes after the end of Casino Royale. This is great news for any Bond fan who
enjoyed the last film as much as I did. Daniel Craig returns as Bond himself; joined by Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton as the Bond girls (they play a girl on a vendetta and a MI-6 agent, respectively) as well as Mathieu Amalric who portrays the villain. The producers promise twice the action as well as a villain who is Bond's physical and intellectual equal.Most people are upset at the naming of this film, but those who have read the books understand why this title was chosen. Quantum of Solace is a short story in the Ian Fleming book For Your Eyes Only. The short story itself will not be used as a plot device in the movie, but it's the meaning of the story that connects with Bond as a character. After he is betrayed by his love in the last film Bond is no longer a man capable of emotion. He feels isolated from the world and no longer trusts anyone. In the short story Bond learns of a man who feels the same way after he leaves his wife due to her affair. Fleming calls a ll of this a "Quantum of Solace". Thus the title, though it still may sound dumb, is very meaningful to the plot and character development in the film. If you need more clarification read the books and watch the films. This film would have been my most anticipated film for 2008 if it wasn't for the amazing trailer and marketing of...
1) The Dark Knight- If trailers are an indicator of a movie then this may be the greatest film ever. Of course trailers are never indicative of how good a movie really would be, though this should be an exception. Add in a very deep viral marketing campaign and this movie is buzzing. Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker will continue the dark edge that Batman Begins started (hopefully his tragic death will not change the way the movie is edited and marketed too much; it would be a greater disservice to his memory to ruin a role he worked so hard at). This is great for the franchise as it returns the series to the comics darker roots. Look for this to get great reviews from critics and fans alike. With the best cast ever assembled for a comic-based movie and a plot that is sure to be full of twists, action, and intrigue this is the movie I'm most looking forward to in 2008.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Terps take on Pack
It's another huge game for the Maryland Terrapins tonight as they take on North Carolina State (4-4 ACC). Much like the Terps, NC State had some comically bad early season losses (East Carolina and New Orleans). They have managed to win three out of four to get back to .500 in conference play despite struggling early and struggling on the road. So how about a preview...
Backcourt - Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez vs Javier Gonzalez and Gavin Grant. Hayes and Vasquez will key the Maryland attack and split ballhandling duties which they've done very effectively in ACC play. The duo ranks 1-2 in the conference in assists in league play while averaging double digits in scoring. Grant will be one of the keys for State as he can score inside or outside while also getting to the line. The big weakness in the NCST starting five will be at the point as freshman Javier Gonzalez has struggled this season both as a ballhandler and as a scorer. Vasquez and Hayes should abuse Gonzalez on both ends of the floor.
Frontcourt - Landon Milbourne, James Gist, and BOOM Osby vs Courtney Fells, Brandon Costner and JJ Hickson. Gist and Osby have been excellent since the start of ACC play, both playing at an all-conference level. Milbourne has also emerged as a scoring option in the past month, particularly from behind the arc. Fells, a former highly touted recruit, has become a solid third scoring option while freshman JJ Hickson has been the best newcomer in the ACC this year. Costner is questionable to play tonight, which may be a good thing for the Pack as he has been awful after a very good 2007 season. Both teams should play very good post defense.
Bench - Neither team has a strong bench. Ben McCauley did have a good game for the Pack against Wake Forest (including a game winner at the buzzer) but he may be forced to start with Costner out. After that, Dennis Horner, Marques Johnson and Tracy Smith should see minutes though all are unproven at best. The Terps will likely play Adrian Bowie, Cliff Tucker, and Dave Neal as its top three off of the bench. All have played well at times though none have shown the consistency to instill confidence in Gary Williams.
Coaching - Sid Lowe vs Gary Williams. One has six hundred wins, the other is terrible.
What To Watch For - Can the NC State big men get Gist and Osby in foul trouble? The Pack is excellent at getting to the line and the Terps' shot blocking style could lead to fouls if they aren't careful. Can the Wolfpack contain the Terps suddenly surging offense? Their last game notwithstanding, NC State has been unable to defend nearly every team they've faced in the ACC.
Backcourt - Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez vs Javier Gonzalez and Gavin Grant. Hayes and Vasquez will key the Maryland attack and split ballhandling duties which they've done very effectively in ACC play. The duo ranks 1-2 in the conference in assists in league play while averaging double digits in scoring. Grant will be one of the keys for State as he can score inside or outside while also getting to the line. The big weakness in the NCST starting five will be at the point as freshman Javier Gonzalez has struggled this season both as a ballhandler and as a scorer. Vasquez and Hayes should abuse Gonzalez on both ends of the floor.
Frontcourt - Landon Milbourne, James Gist, and BOOM Osby vs Courtney Fells, Brandon Costner and JJ Hickson. Gist and Osby have been excellent since the start of ACC play, both playing at an all-conference level. Milbourne has also emerged as a scoring option in the past month, particularly from behind the arc. Fells, a former highly touted recruit, has become a solid third scoring option while freshman JJ Hickson has been the best newcomer in the ACC this year. Costner is questionable to play tonight, which may be a good thing for the Pack as he has been awful after a very good 2007 season. Both teams should play very good post defense.
Bench - Neither team has a strong bench. Ben McCauley did have a good game for the Pack against Wake Forest (including a game winner at the buzzer) but he may be forced to start with Costner out. After that, Dennis Horner, Marques Johnson and Tracy Smith should see minutes though all are unproven at best. The Terps will likely play Adrian Bowie, Cliff Tucker, and Dave Neal as its top three off of the bench. All have played well at times though none have shown the consistency to instill confidence in Gary Williams.
Coaching - Sid Lowe vs Gary Williams. One has six hundred wins, the other is terrible.
What To Watch For - Can the NC State big men get Gist and Osby in foul trouble? The Pack is excellent at getting to the line and the Terps' shot blocking style could lead to fouls if they aren't careful. Can the Wolfpack contain the Terps suddenly surging offense? Their last game notwithstanding, NC State has been unable to defend nearly every team they've faced in the ACC.
Friday, February 8, 2008
That Guy in Class
Andrew is right about That Guy in Class. It's not just that he asks questions; who can begrudge a man that wants to learn? And it's not even that he asks dumb questions or lots of questions. While vexing, you can live with that.
What this gentleman does is to ask three smaller sub-questions every damn time he asks the professor something. He's not even bright enough to realize that he's too dumb to grasp the concepts at this moment in time and that he's wasting the time of the 300 people staring daggers at him. The professor can explain it in crystal clear language but That Guy in Class will latch onto the smallest part of the answer and demand clarification. WTF!?
What this gentleman does is to ask three smaller sub-questions every damn time he asks the professor something. He's not even bright enough to realize that he's too dumb to grasp the concepts at this moment in time and that he's wasting the time of the 300 people staring daggers at him. The professor can explain it in crystal clear language but That Guy in Class will latch onto the smallest part of the answer and demand clarification. WTF!?
Podcast #1 on the way?
Hey all,
Currently, we're in the process of uploading our first podcast to our file-hosting service. A big shout-out to ourmedia.com for providing us with hosting services and allowing us to share this podcast with the world. Of course, if it fails to work I have nothing but jeers for this particular website.
By the by, I started this blog like a letter almost. That's right, a letter to the blogosphere. Although it's not really a sphere. If so, it would be symmetrical in all respects and we could do maths on it. But that has little to do here. Back to the letter. This is my first letter to internet, so I don't know how to approach it, but here it is, Andrew's Epistle to the Tubes.
I hate that kid in class who says things. He knows who he is. Actually, he probably doesn't know who he is. That's why he says things. He's the one who always has to question the teacher. Not because he's challenging the professor, but because he's just too dumb to understand in the first place why the professor did something. He doesn't understand "where that extra factor of one-half came from." It came from dividing by two jackass. Follow the logic on the board. The person at the front of the room has a Ph.D for a reason.
And there... damn, I was pissed. Then Rob sent me a link to Ingrid Michaelson. I can't be upset now. Maybe I'll finish this later.
By the by, I started this blog like a letter almost. That's right, a letter to the blogosphere. Although it's not really a sphere. If so, it would be symmetrical in all respects and we could do maths on it. But that has little to do here. Back to the letter. This is my first letter to internet, so I don't know how to approach it, but here it is, Andrew's Epistle to the Tubes.
I hate that kid in class who says things. He knows who he is. Actually, he probably doesn't know who he is. That's why he says things. He's the one who always has to question the teacher. Not because he's challenging the professor, but because he's just too dumb to understand in the first place why the professor did something. He doesn't understand "where that extra factor of one-half came from." It came from dividing by two jackass. Follow the logic on the board. The person at the front of the room has a Ph.D for a reason.
And there... damn, I was pissed. Then Rob sent me a link to Ingrid Michaelson. I can't be upset now. Maybe I'll finish this later.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
What Up Scrilla
So this is the blogging world. I'm that guy who looks strikingly like Mike Tyson over on the right, only without the intellect and charm.
This isn't one of those blogs where 36 year old crazies talk about how they saw George W. Bush/Hillary Clinton/[insert polarizing political figure] LITERALLY EATING BABIES earlier in the day. It might be a place for funny anecdotes and the like, but no way can I keep up with that blog that had the pictures of the guy getting ass-fucked for crack.
And there will be sports. None of that warmed over analysis that you see from the talking heads on ESPN. Oh no, straight facts homie. Insight that you'd have to pay upwards of $4.99 for out on the street. You get that AND the paring knife at no extra charge. Rock and chop sold separately.
And there will probably be some sort of podcast. So stay tuned. Or don't because it won't actually happen. Having a blog is one thing. Saying things into a microphone is an entirely different beast. Do we want to be that guy?
This isn't one of those blogs where 36 year old crazies talk about how they saw George W. Bush/Hillary Clinton/[insert polarizing political figure] LITERALLY EATING BABIES earlier in the day. It might be a place for funny anecdotes and the like, but no way can I keep up with that blog that had the pictures of the guy getting ass-fucked for crack.
And there will be sports. None of that warmed over analysis that you see from the talking heads on ESPN. Oh no, straight facts homie. Insight that you'd have to pay upwards of $4.99 for out on the street. You get that AND the paring knife at no extra charge. Rock and chop sold separately.
And there will probably be some sort of podcast. So stay tuned. Or don't because it won't actually happen. Having a blog is one thing. Saying things into a microphone is an entirely different beast. Do we want to be that guy?
Podcast
We have no idea how to do it. By "we" I mean Steve and I. It probably just involved some sort of microphone and recording software, but I've been too lazy to check into it so far. My roommate Awaz Fallaby* says that he has the microphone on his laptop and the recording software, so we may actually be ready to get some podcasting.
As for the podcasting itself, be forewarned. It's pretty much just Steve and I (and occasionally Cap'n Jeets) ranting, raving, and saying whatever the hell we want. It's probably gonna make zero sense. And yes, I will be quite happy with that. We're just gonna say things
Carry on.
*Name changed to protect the innocent.
As for the podcasting itself, be forewarned. It's pretty much just Steve and I (and occasionally Cap'n Jeets) ranting, raving, and saying whatever the hell we want. It's probably gonna make zero sense. And yes, I will be quite happy with that. We're just gonna say things
Carry on.
*Name changed to protect the innocent.
First Post
This may very well be the greatest thing ever. Let's see if we can finally get that podcast off the ground.
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