Is it time to talk a little hoops…? Rumor has it that the NBA is back in session (read here about some thoughts we had concerning the NBA in the wake of the referee gambling scandal) but that has not yet been confirmed.
Shoot, who are we kidding? In regards to the NBA and more specifically, the Lakers, we are like an abused spouse…… we know we should just walk away but because of all the time invested or the fleeting memories of better times gone by or the self-delusional hope that ‘things will get better’… we keep coming back. And the Laker’s teasing 2-2 start that includes wins over Phoenix at Phoenix and Utah only deepens the dysfunctionality.
So maybe a better sub-topic would be some college ball and specifically, West Coast Conference hoops. WCC? Who are they? One word: Gonzaga. Oh, that WCC. Attached article here out of the San Diego U-T documents how the 8 Catholic schools stretching from Washington in the north down to San Diego here in the south have ramped up commitment to their respective basketball programs.
Back in the day we were big fans of the Big West Conference. Good teams, colorful coaches, nasty rivalries and gyms (some band-box in size) with cool names (‘The Thunder Dome” – UCSB, “Grant’s Tomb” – Fresno St., “The Pit” – New Mexico, “The Shark Tank” - UNLV) filled with rabid fans. With the conference calling-card program and league bully UNLV playing Gonzaga’s part it was the B-movie/slasher version of the WCC. Trust us, Ashley Judd, a regular at Kentucky hoops games, would’ve never been in the stands but we think Woody Harrelson may have been the conference commissioner.
So these nice, polite, academic-oriented Catholic schools are attempting to step it up and play with the big boys? As the article points out the increased coaching turnovers and the potential of relaxing academic standards are the drawbacks. However, if one's goal is to raise the profile of one's conference and in turn, that of the individual schools, outside of football, basketball is the best way to do it. We are reminded of the admissions office at George Mason university reportedly receiving about twice as many applications as in previous years immediately after their Final Four run a couple of years ago.
The University of San Diego and their new coach Bill Grier, former Zags assistant, will be playing San Diego St. at the Jenny Craig Pavilion (“the Slim Gym”) on November 19 for the city championship. We hope to be there.
Shoot, who are we kidding? In regards to the NBA and more specifically, the Lakers, we are like an abused spouse…… we know we should just walk away but because of all the time invested or the fleeting memories of better times gone by or the self-delusional hope that ‘things will get better’… we keep coming back. And the Laker’s teasing 2-2 start that includes wins over Phoenix at Phoenix and Utah only deepens the dysfunctionality.
So maybe a better sub-topic would be some college ball and specifically, West Coast Conference hoops. WCC? Who are they? One word: Gonzaga. Oh, that WCC. Attached article here out of the San Diego U-T documents how the 8 Catholic schools stretching from Washington in the north down to San Diego here in the south have ramped up commitment to their respective basketball programs.
Back in the day we were big fans of the Big West Conference. Good teams, colorful coaches, nasty rivalries and gyms (some band-box in size) with cool names (‘The Thunder Dome” – UCSB, “Grant’s Tomb” – Fresno St., “The Pit” – New Mexico, “The Shark Tank” - UNLV) filled with rabid fans. With the conference calling-card program and league bully UNLV playing Gonzaga’s part it was the B-movie/slasher version of the WCC. Trust us, Ashley Judd, a regular at Kentucky hoops games, would’ve never been in the stands but we think Woody Harrelson may have been the conference commissioner.
So these nice, polite, academic-oriented Catholic schools are attempting to step it up and play with the big boys? As the article points out the increased coaching turnovers and the potential of relaxing academic standards are the drawbacks. However, if one's goal is to raise the profile of one's conference and in turn, that of the individual schools, outside of football, basketball is the best way to do it. We are reminded of the admissions office at George Mason university reportedly receiving about twice as many applications as in previous years immediately after their Final Four run a couple of years ago.
The University of San Diego and their new coach Bill Grier, former Zags assistant, will be playing San Diego St. at the Jenny Craig Pavilion (“the Slim Gym”) on November 19 for the city championship. We hope to be there.
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