Oops, he did it again. Okay, there you have it: my one and only reference to Britney Spears ever (EVAH!) -- that being an over-my-dead-body promise. Sheesh, all this to lead into another masterpiece by Kyle Whelliston -- who is no way should ever be lumped into the same universe as BS -- my apologia.
Bubble FrictionGo here for the remainder --take your time at this feast.
Kyle Whelliston
December 17, 2009
Every year around the holidays, a team south of the Red Line unleashes a surprise stretch of inspired play. Upset kings can spring up from any corner of Hoops Nation. One year, it could be Rhode Island, Nevada, Pacific or Davidson. Or in 2009, it could be William & Mary, Portland, Charlotte or Western Carolina. When the magic happens, fans of that team will drop by the chats and ask, "Is this enough to get us into the Top 25?"
Back in the ESPN years, I had a stock reply. "Sure! The team's playing real well, and they'll get the recognition they deserve, I'm sure." There was never any lie in that, and it was exactly what people wanted to hear. My role in that transaction was to make people feel good about themselves, not to be controversial. (And I never had a vote in the thing, so I never understood why people asked me, anyway.)
Nowadays, I'll just be upfront with people. "You don't want that," I'll type. "The absolute last thing you want is to be in the Top 25..."
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John Newbold has updates on some former USU Aggies here.
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John Gasaway offers a most provocative headline here. It's another quality read.
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The legend of now former Dookie Olek Czyz is explored here. In defense, who could turn down Coach K when he comes calling? The line forms at the left but we're renting a phone booth and not a hall to house everyone. Olek: get three to a mid-majority team and prosper.
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First, it's sad to see MidMajority slowly fade away. Kyle deserves better. His effort and writing is outstanding, but he needs a paying gig. There aren't enough of us out here that will donate to the cause, and that's sad. I really miss the sense of humor that the blog had in previous years. But with all he's been through it's not surprising that his voice is a little different this year. It seems unlikely he'll make it through the season, but I'm sure he'll pop up somewhere and do quite well.
I don't agree with his position on the top 25. The three years when Nevada was in (and out) of the polls was an exciting time for everyone in and around the program. Perhaps it wasn't as bad for the Pack as they were either in it or on the cusp for so long it was no longer surprising and probably not such a big story. But Gonzaga has handled it, Saint Mary's is handling it and I don't think many players would be upset about being ranked. The coaches? Well they might hate the distraction, but they probably look back on it fondly.
Finally, several Pack fans felt that Czyz was overrated coming out of high school. Not that he wasn't good, but he was raw. We hope he comes back to Reno, but right now that doesn't seem his most likely choice.
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