T1B

Everyone seems to be picking them. Everyone says they're the most talented team. Everyone says they haven't played their best basketball yet. Exactly. They're playing their worst basketball of the season. They barely squeaked by Cinci to end the season. They lost to Syracuse in the first round of the Big East Tournament. They were down 12 in the second half against... Albany... yes... Albany. They almost had the dubious distinction of being the first 16 seed to bow out in the 1st round and then turned in a 4th subpar effort in a row against an average Kentucky team yesterday. I don't know what happened after that Villanova rematch, but they've looked like shit ever since. They stopped drinking the Calhoun Cool-Aid and think they can just show up and win. They're going down. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Wash beat UConn Friday night, exacting the "other" Huskies' revenge 8 years after Rip Hamilton stuck a dagger through their hearts with a put back at the buzzer to win 75-74.

Jim Nance sucks ass, btw...

^^^

Nance needs to stick to Golf or the Studio.

My ultimate CBS hoops broadcast team...Gus Johnson with Bill Raftery and Bonnie Bernstein as the courtside reporter.


As for UConn...a less talented team wouldn't have won either of those games this weekend. They've got the pieces to win it all...they just need to play a full 40 minutes. Brandon Roy should give UConn some problems but I see them getting through. Whomever wins that George Mason-Wichita State won't be too intimidated by UConn considering how they got there. Mason already knocked off a two Final Four teams and the defending champs...they're plenty battle tested. UConn is clearly the most talented group remaining in that bracket but they haven't played the best as a team.

^^^

Ding, Ding, Ding.

I picked UConn to win it all, and I would submit that it's a bit early to write them off.

The name of the game is surviving and advancing. Most of the recent champions survived a close call along the way. And as Shoalzie said, UConn definitely has enough talent that they're capable of winning it all.

Shoalzie wrote:My ultimate CBS hoops broadcast team...Gus Johnson with Bill Raftery and Bonnie Bernstein as the courtside reporter.

Gus Johnson? The 2nd most annoying sports broadcaster of all-time... behind Brent Musberger.

Gus Johnson is awesome. He is ten times better than Fudge Packer and Nantz. The excitement he brings to the end of the games is awesome. Like Shoalzie said, I wish Gus Johnson did every close game.

Nantz can make the most exciting moment in a game boring and I can't stand his horrible puns after a game. Johnson along Lundquist and Enberg are far more energic annoucers. Heck, I'd take Kevin Harlin ahead of Nantz too. As Cicero said...Nantz is perfect for the Butler Cabin at Augusta or he should be off narrating shows for the National Geographic or Discovery channel or go off and become a news anchor.

I don't need some jackass screaming at the top of his lungs to make my viewing entertainment more palpable. Gus Johnson makes a lot of noise, and yet somehow, says nothing at all. You dig?

So, you need someone there to tell you what is happening instead??

Raftery is annoying as fuck.

Jay Bilas is very underrated. Him and Gus Johnson would make a good team, because neither are vocally annoying or draw attention to themselves like a Raftery.

I think it was Verne Lundquist doing the Pitt/Bradley game...Anyone notice how in the lower right hand corner of the screen the teams read in a way that it said Brad Pitt? Like this...

Brad 50
Pitt 49

How cute of you CBS.

So of course what does Lundquist do at least 5 times during the game?

"Brad leads Pitt 50-40..."

Cicero wrote:So, you need someone there to tell you what is happening instead??

You need someone to tell you to get excited?

Did MGO really just opine that Gus Johnson doesn't draw attention to himself? Dude couldn't draw more attention to himself short of pulling a Bobcat Goldthrait and torching the announcer's table. Funniest thing I've read here in months. Thanks for the laugh, dipshit.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Raftery is annoying as fuck.

Jay Bilas is very underrated. Him and Gus Johnson would make a good team, because neither are vocally annoying or draw attention to themselves like a Raftery.

Raftery is just like Vitale...has a good time, enjoys an exciting game and has their own mini-vocabulary. I can deal with 'the kiss' or 'man-to-man' more than I can deal with Vitale screaming 'PTPer' or 'it's awesome, baby!' Then you have Packer on the other end of the spectrum...he's an old crimudgen (sp) that never seems to have any fun. He's a good analyst but he's an old bitty.

When I say "doesn't draw attention to himself", I mean he's not always trying to drop that clever one liner that always ends up sounding awkward and stupid, and isn't always getting anecdotal...such as guys like Musberger, Nantz and Raftery. He pretty much just sticks to calling the game.

But I take it you're referring to his tendency to raise his voice after exciting plays. Lots of announcers do that, bro. They're courtside at phenomenal games, it would be hard not to get into it. Guys like Nantz act like they don't even want to be there, and just go through the motions.

MGO wrote:a cutesy post about Brad Pitt

damn, babs stole Mgo's password! That was a good one

I think the joke would've worked better had I praised Brad Pitt.

UCant#1 wrote:

Shoalzie wrote:My ultimate CBS hoops broadcast team...Gus Johnson with Bill Raftery and Bonnie Bernstein as the courtside reporter.

Gus Johnson? The 2nd most annoying sports broadcaster of all-time... behind Brent Musberger.

Tim McCarver
Joe Morgan

You lose.

Not that I don't despise Musberger...

UConn and Duke, Bro. Can't be any other way. Besides, Uconn has a cakewalk into the Final Four now.

rozy wrote:UConn and Duke, Bro. Can't be any other way.

Let's see. We still do "owe you one" in the tournament. Lost in 64, 90, and 91. Won in 99 and 04. Payback's a bitch.

64, 90, and 91 don't matter.

And yes, payback IS a bitch.

rozy wrote:Besides, Uconn has a cakewalk into the Final Four now.

We thought so, too.

-- Uconn.

Rack George Mason. What a gutty performance. I don't know what calhoun was thinking. At the end of the first half Uconn was on fire from outside. The whole second half they kept trying to stuff it inside. And why weren't they doubling up on that big fukker that kept backing into the paint.

Oh well. Uconn will be back. Good luck mason, but, I can't see those guys putting together 2 more efforts in 3 days.

LSU/GM in the finals.

Should be a battle.

Yes, as long as there's a beer tent.

Sin,
Rhett Bomar

Shoalzie wrote:My ultimate CBS hoops broadcast team...Gus Johnson with Bill Raftery and Bonnie Bernstein as the courtside reporter.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

What he said.

Jsc810 wrote:Damn wouldn't it be nice if NCAA had a playoff in football.

What's better...a bunch of meaningless bowl games or a single elimination tournament chalked full of drama, intrigue and unpredictablity? 'Bode for college hoops.

If college football could harness that kind of magic in a postseason, words can't describe how great that would be. As I've been trumpeting for the longest time...a college football playoff has to include all conferences not just the big 6. You'd never see a George Mason-like run in football when you all you have is the power conferences involved.

After an improbable victory Friday night... a game in which they were handed by both the refs and their opponent, I really thought UConn had finally learned their lesson. And to a man, I think they did. A team of destiny maybe?? They played by far, their best game of the tournament yesterday. They didn't turn the ball over, hit their free throws, shot fairly well, played tough defense... and yet, still lost. RACK George Mason for hanging tough when UConn went on a huge run midway through the game. Down 12, Mason came storming back. I'm... still in shock as I type this post. RACK Mason's ability to hit big 3 after big 3 in the second half. I still can't believe what I saw. UConn threw everything they had at them, made yet another amazing comeback in the final minute of regulation to force OT and.... lost?? I really thought Brown's shot at the buzzer in OT was going in. Oh well. This could be, quite possibly, the greatest story ever told in Final Four history. I hope there are two more chapters left in this amazing book. I'm rooting for them now. Are you??? Go George fucking Mason. RACK March Madness. Anything is possible. Jimmy Valvano is smiling today... running around Heaven's Court... looking for someone... anyone to hug.

Im going w/ Mason. If its a UF/LSU Final I will miss my first Championship game in 15 years.