The World According to C-Hova

AU BBall Game Running Diary

2009-12-16T22:53:00.004-06:00

If you’re at a college basketball game by yourself – because, really, who would subject themselves to AU-DePaul (who was 0-18 in the Big East last year) voluntarily – what else is there to do but do a running diary of the night?

6:00 p.m. – get home from work, find the one AU shirt that I can dig up. Something tells me this might not be the current AU style
6:25 – double check game time; read in Tribune that “the Blue Demons can continue to pad their win column against middling opposition.” Is that bulletin board fodder in a negative way for AU or a positive way (what, we’re actually middling competition at 1-8?!?)
6:55 – leave for game
7:15 – after one wrong turn and much cursing, brave three bitter scalpers to pick up my tickets at will call. Will call seems shocked that anyone left tickets there. As I'm leaving, scalpers disappointed by sale that falls through. Sarcastically comment that they "thought that was the night's big sale." I think they might need another line of work. Big thanks to my high school friend who was working the game for leaving me the tickets. Nice seats too.
7:23 – stop by to say hi to my friend. We joke about if I am going to stay until the end of the game. I’m not going to sit through a blow out. I’m going to take this moment to brag about my high school cross country team, which my friend now coaches (he and I ran together in HS) – they finished fourth in the nation and second in state (one guy had a bad race, clearly the best team all year, but still first state trophy for program). Damn impressive.
7:28 – nice surprise, I can buy beer. I’m pretty sure I will need it. $6.50? What is this, Wrigley Field? Yes, I will pay it.
7:30 – in seats; pleasantly surprised to see three AU fans in front of me and one to my right – Go AU!
7:31 – Spot Jerry Wainwright. My contemporaries will remember that he set CAA basketball back 10 years while at UNCW when we were at AU. Any 49-47 game is not good for basketball. That’s all his teams produced.
7:33 – AU scores first points of game – three by Hendra
7:43 – Under 12 time out, AU leads by four thanks in no small part to two banked-in threes by some guy named Vlad
7:45 – Lead by six!
7:53 – after DePaul cuts lead to one, nice 7-0 run for AU to lead by eight. People behind me yelling for DePaul to go big. Yeah, that would be smart considering AU is killing them on the boards despite being pretty small
7:54 – There might me 1000 people here total. For some reason, some are in the upper deck.
7:57 – Vlad is rad! AU by 10 with five minutes to go in first half. Not quite AU-Villanova from NCAA tourney but better than I thought.
7:58 – Horrible blocking call against AU! Booooo, you’re terrible!
8:00 – AU by eight; announcer tells me that tickets are selling fast for DePaul women’s basketball. I ask, to no one in particular, compared to what?
8:02 – They’re throwing t-shirts into the stands? Why do people get so excited for this?
8:06 – AU leads by eight at half. The natives are restless. Best complaint of the night: “We gave up the Blackhawks for this?” To be honest, Jerry Wainwright should have replied: “You gave up the Blackhawks for this?” Because the Blackhawks are the best show in town and DePaul may be the worst.
8:11 – Buy a happy beer, return to seat for preteen dance team. Concerned that I am somehow breaking the law by watching. Eyes now averted.
8:21 – Uh oh. 6-0 run. DePaul bigs killing AU. Now the fans aren’t happy that Wainwright is bringing in smaller players. Best comment: “why are you subbing? Because you’re back in the game?”
8:27 – Under 16 timeout. DePaul on 10-0 run to tie.
8:31 – band has lost it, yelling at ref to T up Hendra. As the arena is so empty, I can hear everything and I have no idea why they would be saying this. I conclude this is a standard cheer to be used once a game.
8:33 – Vlad with a three to beat the shot clock! AU leads by two
8:37 – under 12 time out, AU down by four
8:41 – Vlad hits two free throws to tie game – this guy is pretty good (see pic below)

8:43 – Hendra with the drive and the foul. Nice play. Misses the free throw, tie game
8:45 – Vlad for three! AU leads by three – for two seconds. DePaul’s best player, Will Walker hits a three. AU turnover in backcourt, layup, down by two. Call a TO, baby!
8:47 – Big screen showing student section. All nine of them. Oh, DePaul, what happened to you?
8:49 – Vlad again! For three. Lead by three.
8:52 – If AU wins, that will be the highlight of the night. However, I just grabbed a T-shirt from the T-shirt toss, which is the current highlight. It landed in the empty row behind me. I walked over and picked it up. Raised it over my head for the AU students two rows in front of me. I talk to them for the first time all night. They’re current students. They ask when I graduated. I tell them and then make joke about how I’m old. They laugh. It’s funny when it’s true. Ha, ha. They do confirm for me that this is Vlad’s first game of the season. He is clearly a difference maker.
8:54 - #3 on DePaul is dominant – as he should be being probably 6-9 or 6-10 – but they don’t go to him enough. He misses a free throw and Vlad drops in two. 23 points so far.
8:59 – 3:09 to go, AU by one, Lumpkins on line, hits one of two
9:01 – Dagger three by DePaul’s Walker
9:02 – Right back at you by Hendra for three! AU by two. Timeout DePaul.
9:04 – Should have been jump ball. Instead DePaul timeout. Garbage! Who’s calling this game? Papparo? Au by 2, 56.8 seconds to go.
9:07 – DePaul’s Walker misses three, AU rebound, foul, one and one, 34.4 to go; makes both, AU by four
9:08 – AU gives two quick fouls. Good strategy, had them to give
9:09 – DePaul misses three, Vlad rebounds, game OVER!
9:10 – AU wins by five. Embarrassing loss for DePaul.

I talked to my friend afterwards. On the bright side for him, this loss guarantees the already guaranteed exit of Jerry Wainwright after this year. It’s really sad to see how far DePaul has fallen. My friend also feels that my capturing the t-shirt just rubs salt in the wounds of the loss.

DePaul is not exactly a powerhouse, but AU may have something with this Vlad character. He was pretty dominant, so the season may be on the upswing. Only time will tell.

Big Ten Expansion

2009-12-15T21:24:00.003-06:00

I've been curious about the latest talk about expanding the Big Ten to 12 teams. It would make sense to balance things out, but some of the teams don't really excite me. Notre Dame makes sense - they can be 6-6 in the Big Ten or as an independent! But Missouri, Rutgers, Syracuse, Pitt? This does not excite me.

SI's Stewart Mandel has an intriguing suggestion that gives me pause and makes me think there is an interesting option out there: Nebraska.

Now that is interesting.

Impersonal Delivery of News

2009-12-08T09:52:00.002-06:00

So I started out with the goal of contacting people personally, but it turns out that this is much easier. So here it is: my wife is pregnant.

I truly couldn't be happier and can't wait until June 29. Everything has been good so far and we're doing everything we can to make sure it stays that way.

We Lost the Olympics to This?

2009-11-17T16:33:00.001-06:00

I think there is an element of damning with faint praise here:

Brazil a little less corrupt, Transparency International says

New (To Me) Band

2009-11-16T16:57:00.002-06:00

I recently resumed receiving free XM radio (or is it Sirius? - maybe that's the problem). Anyway, listening to XM U, which I'm probably technically too old to listen to, I came across a band that caught my fancy - partly because its song "Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare" is the theme song for the new NBC show, Commentary, which I quite enjoy. Anyway, I am nothing if not a sharer. So, here are a couple songs which I think are pretty good.

Wither the Blog

2009-11-16T16:56:00.002-06:00

Oh, I forgot this was here. In an effort to reinvigorate my blogging, I will be posting more regularly here. Probably. Well, I'll give it a shot. Blogs just might be dead.

TV

2009-10-09T16:46:00.003-05:00

Let me recommend some decent television I've caught recently - and a quibble or two:

The Good Wife - not half bad for a lawyer drama; definitely watchable; this past week's episode bothered me because it suggested that the Cook County State's Attorney would live in Highland Park, even though that is in Lake County; and that Chicago police would arrest someone in Highland Park. Let's get our details correct.
Community - I'm a Joel McHale fan, but this show is pretty funny
Glee - Did not think I would like it, but saw the most recent episode and it's really pretty entertaining. Especially like the cheerleading coach who is out to take down the glee club. It's really not a Fame rip-off.
Real World Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins - I know, it's ridiculous that I watch this crap, but it's flat out great. Especially when you have a 40 year old Syrus on the show, you can't help but watch. Best part: the girls now suspect other girls of using steroids. Not farfetched when it is clear all the men are clearly roided up.

Nobel Man of the Year Award

2009-10-09T16:41:00.002-05:00

Everything that's been said about the ridonkulousness of the president winning the Nobel Peace Prize has basically already been said. I will add this. By awarding it to him, the Nobel Committee has lowered a once great prize (and they really already did this when they awarded it to Yasir Arafat) to the status of Time Magazine's Man of the Year. Probably something you want to win, but now really has no meaning.

While I am no big fan of President Bush, his actions freed millions from dictatorships in Iraq and Afghanistan, inspired democratic revolutions in Lebanon and Ukraine, brought Libya - sort of - in from the cold and aided millions in Africa. I thought that might be the outcomes the Nobel Committee might be in favor of.

Time to Catch up on Some Blogging

2009-10-09T16:38:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I'm going to do a lot of posts in a short amount of time. This will basically sum up what's been on my mind recently (which probably isn't a whole lot).

First, let me express my incredulity that anyone would actually defend Roman Polanski. That asshat raped a 13 year old girl then fled the United States to avoid jail. There is no disputing any of that. For anyone to suggest that his recent arrest is not fair or illegitimate is STUPID.

Comment of the Day

2009-10-09T10:57:00.001-05:00

From Barack Obama's Teleprompter:

"But there are some positive things coming out of this surprise award. Big Guy is actually thinking that now that he's won the Nobel, he might take a call from the Dalai Lama now that theDalai is his almost his equal. I say "almost" because, the Lama won his for bringing world attention to the plight of the Tibetan people. That's not quite as great an effort as the one Big Guy exerted to draw world attention to himself."

Burying the Lede

2009-09-09T10:02:00.003-05:00

In an apparent attempt to give supporters of Obamacare hope, the Washington Post today offers a parallel between how the president is pursuing this health care overhaul effort with an effort he led as an Illinois state senator. And for all the legislative "skill" that he displayed in that fight (in another situation where Democrats had a significant majority), what was the result?

"The task force created by the legislation recommended that the state aim to cover 90 percent of the uninsured by requiring everyone to buy insurance and offering subsidies to those who couldn't afford it. Many of those changes were embraced in proposals offered by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D).

Those hopes remain unfulfilled. The cost of the proposals and the governor's personal scandals doomed them, leaving Illinois residents to wait with the rest of the country as Obama pursues similar goals once again."

Yep, that was some good cheerleading, Post.

Damn You, Blackburn Rovers

2009-08-25T15:53:00.003-05:00

Anyone do that espn.com streak for cash thing? It's an interesting diversion from time to time and a lot harder than I thought it would be. I have an overall winning record (.580 or something like that) but my best streak has only been four in a row. I particularly enjoy picking the most obscure games espn offers, like today's game between the Blackburn Rovers and someone else. I think it's Premier League, but it also could be Scottish League. Who knows. All I know is that the Rovers screwed me and I'm back to zero in a row. Time to get to work on a new streak.

UPDATE: Whoa, I was wrong. The Blackburn Rovers actually won I guess. Bully for me. Streak is at five. I AM THE GREATEST!

Calendar Marked

2009-08-23T18:57:00.002-05:00

AU to play at DePaul on December 16. I will be there.

I don't know what kind of team AU will have this year, but DePaul was wretched last year so this may be a good chance for a win. No worries about a home court advantage: DePaul plays in the worst college basketball arena in the country, the Rosemont Horizon now known as Allstate Arena.

Immortality

2009-08-19T20:02:00.002-05:00

Courtesy of the Bad Lieutenant, I discovered that my visage is currently immortalized in a wind screen for the AU tennis courts overlooking the track. I'm honored, I guess, though this would make more sense if I had actually been an accomplished athlete there or had attended the institution within the last decade.

Behold my glory:

Shame! Shame!

2009-07-30T20:18:00.002-05:00

ESPN doing documentary on Bartman.

He didn't have anything to do with the Cubs loss in Game 6 and, more impressively, has stayed out of the spotlight the last six years rather than try to cash in on his notoriety. Let the man be. He shouldn't forgive Chicago and no one should ask him to.

Experts: We're Not Really Experts

2009-07-20T10:39:00.001-05:00

Though the Chicago murder rate is up - if the many, many reports of shootings are any indication - I did chuckle a little at this article in which crime experts basically admit they have no idea why violent crime is down in so many cities.

25 Years Ago Yesterday

2009-06-24T10:32:00.001-05:00

Even though I'm one of probably two million people who say they were at the Sandberg Game, I was in fact one of 40,000 who actually were. Sitting in the upper deck on the third base side and watching Ryne Sandberg hit two home runs to tie the game in the 9th and 10th off Bruce Sutter, the game's best closer at the time. The game made Sandberg's career, probably singlehandedly won him the MVP that year and propelled the Cubs on their run that season. Enjoy the highlights, especially the naming of Willie McGee as the player of the game in the 10th inning.

Well, That Didn't Take Long

2009-06-16T20:10:00.001-05:00

Sosa tied to steroids.

My childlike innocence is now gone.

Good Article on Bad Call

2009-05-29T12:06:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it's been 15 years already - and I guess that means it's been 15 years since OJ had that, um, unpleasantness - but here's a good story on one of the worst foul calls in professional sports history: Hue Hollins' call in game 5 of the 94 Bulls-Knicks series.

Believe it or not, I still will argue with people about that call today. It ruined a great season for a team that lost the best player of all time only to be carried by the true MVP that year, Scottie Pippen (his game 3 shenanigans notwithstanding).

One quibble: the article states that "Davis released the ball and then Pippen made contact with Davis' arms on the follow-through." Maybe replay shows something different, but the contact was with Davis' fingertips. A small quibble.

The most interesting part of the article is the discussion of how the Bulls' winning that game and potentially the title that year would have changed history. Would Jordan have come back the following year? We'll never know.

Finger on the Button

2009-05-26T11:50:00.002-05:00

The Panic Button that is. If one sports team needs it to be pressed, it is the Chicago Cubs. I'm having psychotic flashbacks to both 1985 and 2004 - neither of which ended well. What's wrong with this version of the Cubs?

Injuries, and lots of 'em. The most important is to Aramis Ramirez, who anchors a lineup that should score runs. Without him, they've been lost.
Bad bullpen. Literally unwatchable. Boo, Neal Cotts. Boo.
Mediocre defense.
No energy. This is just an observation, but it sometimes looks like this team believes what everyone said about them - that they were so talented that there was no way they could lose this division. That's not looking too smart right now.

Still plenty of time to turn things around, but one-quarter of the way through the season, the verdict is this: the Cubs stink.

A Quibble

2009-05-07T12:08:00.003-05:00

In an SI article today by Tom Verducci on Manny Ramirez's being suspended for using a performance enhancing drug came this nugget at the end:

Ramirez ranks 17th on the all-time home-run list with 533. Eight of those top 17 home run hitters played in what is commonly referred to as the Steroid Era. And six of those eight modern-day sluggers have been associated with performance-enhancing drugs: Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Rodriguez and Ramirez. The only modern sluggers to have escaped such a connection are Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas and Jim Thome.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and say that I think Sammy Sosa did not use steroids or performance enhancing drugs. Because it's tough to disregard how much bulkier he was as his career went on. HOWEVER, I am unaware (which doesn't mean it doesn't exist) of any direct accusation with a hint of proof that Sosa used PEDs. You cannot say the same about Bonds, McGwire, Palmeiro, Rodriguez or now Ramirez.

It's no surprise that Sosa is lumped in with that group, granted. But the only benefit of the doubt that I would give him is this: his home run binge came in the prime of his career (as opposed to McGwire and Bonds who should have been on the downside); his fall-off came in the downside of his career; and his decline can be traced directly to early 2004 (I think) when he was beaned in the head in Cincinnati - he was never the same hitter after that.

Sammy Sosa was a clubhouse cancer and a me-first player. I won't shed a tear if it's shown that he used steroids. But until there is that proof and not just assertion, let's stop lumping him in with Bonds and McGwire - even if we shouldn't lump him in with Thome, Griffey or Thomas either.

Irony

2009-05-06T11:28:00.002-05:00

BBC reports, you decide:

An expedition team which set sail from Plymouth on a 5,000-mile carbon emission-free trip to Greenland have been rescued by an oil tanker. . . .

Raoul Surcouf, Richard Spink and skipper Ben Stoddart sent a mayday because they feared for their safety amid winds of 68mph (109km/h)...In one incident Mr Stoddart hit his head and the wind generator and solar panels were ripped from the yacht.

Treating the Symptom, Not the Cause

2009-05-04T09:26:00.002-05:00

If you have a second, read this article in the Post today about President Obama's proposal to federalize all college financial aid and make the Pell Grant an entitlement.

Here's a prediction that will come true: aid to students will go up and so will college costs; which means aid to students will have to go up again. And again. And again.

For all the moaning that is done when gas prices or electricity bills go up, a woeful amount of attention is paid to the outrageous cost of college education. The cost of college has been increasing at a far faster pace than inflation because colleges have no incentive to hold the line on costs. And because of financial aid packages that keep going up and up, we never see the real costs until your kid graduates with a sociology degree and $120,000 in debt.

Think about that the next time you see your favorite college professor riding to school in their maserati.

Here's a novel idea: let's make college less expensive for people by making it less expensive, not saddling them with mountains of debt.

Spend More, Get Less

2009-04-13T09:19:00.002-05:00

Good Robert Samuelson piece today in the Post.

"It's very hard to raise a child who is the boss"

2009-04-08T09:13:00.000-05:00

A look at the future for all you parents:

Quebec dad sued by daughter after grounding loses his appeal