College Basketball - Season Kick-off and Larry Brown Maths Edition

[Ded As Ned]

To continue...

I don't consider them televised since the SEC Network can only be found on Time Warner and Dish. :tantrum:

Actually it's only found on Dish and AT&T U-Verse so far... (luckily I have Dish :drunk: ). Time Warner is still holding out on ESPN, and of course ESPN is loading up the SEC network to put pressure on the other providers to pick them up. I've heard more than a few people say they will leave TWC if they don't pick up the SEC network, and I don't blame them (if they're an SEC fan).

Unrelated and off-topic, but I'm fed up with TWC. I've been paying them $65/month for internet for almost a decade, and I can now get similar speed with AT&T for about half the price. Dish Network (who I've been with about 5 years since dropping DirecTV) costs me $70/month (normal, non-promotional rate) and I get all the sports channels I want (only reason I have TV at all, really) with free HD and DVR on every TV in the house. At least once a year TWC sends me a "special offer" to bundle TV and Internet at a nice advertised price, but by the time they price it out with HD and DVR, it ends up being more than I'm already paying separately, and they don't have connected DVR for multiple TV's.

ETA: Glad to see Randle go to the Lakers. I think he will definitely help them out, pending his doesn't-need-surgery foot doesn't hold things up. Young to the Celtics... meh. I don't see him ever getting much PT unless he learns to play defense. If you score 20ppg but give up 20 to the guy you're guarding there's not much need for you to be there imo.

[Rhom]

Yeah, I meant AT&T. That's not an option where I live. Personally, I think playing chicken with SEC fans is going to be a big mistake for TWC. I've already read several bloggers and their commenters who say if they miss any of the Bahamas trip (much less the start of the football season) they'll drop TWC. I can only imagine the backlash in Alabama as we approach football season and the very real prospect of missing Bama/Auburn games starts to creep up.

(That sounds dirt cheap on Dish... I may have to investigate further.)

But back to the topic of basketball; I thought last night's draft was pretty stellar all around. The Isaiah Austin tribute gave me chills. Adam Silver is hitting all the right notes in this first year. If he can get the Two and Toodle-oo passed, I will personally lead the pledge drive to erect a bronze statue of him somewhere.

[Ded As Ned]

I didn't watch the draft, so wasn't aware of the Austin tribute; that was cool.

I'll donate a few bucks to the bronze statue if they get that passed for sure!

[RedEyedGhost]

I like how the SEC Network logo looks like a penis; they're really marketing to their audience :lol:

[Rhom]

I like how the SEC Network logo looks like a penis; they're really marketing to their audience :lol:

I didn't know what you were referring to. Now that I've seen it, I can buy that.

Still not as fun as the UK Wildcat with a penis in its mouth. I still have a hat with that old logo somewhere around the house.

@GoodmanESPN: Philadelphia starting lineup for next season: Michael Carter-Williams, KJ McDaniels, Jerami Grant, JaKarr Sampson and Nerlens Noel.

@GoodmanESPN: I would love to see a matchup between Kentucky and the Sixers next season. Early line is UK by 3.

:lol:

Fun to speculate, but those guys are all pros for a reason. I'm not buying it.

[RedEyedGhost]

I didn't know what you were referring to. Now that I've seen it, I can buy that.

Only sideways one. The upright one is definitely not penis-shaped.

I liked this pic from last night :lol:

[Rhom]

Only sideways one. The upright one is definitely not penis-shaped.

I liked this pic from last night :lol:

Ha! I saw him at the draft, but didn't make the connection with Three Amigos. That's fantastic.

[Rhom]

Did he'll freeze open and I missed it?!!? NCAA to reopen UNC academic investigation.

UNC athletics director Bubba Cunningham said Monday that the school has received "a verbal notice of inquiry from the NCAA" that its investigation will continue.

"The NCAA has determined that additional people with information and others who were previously uncooperative might now be willing to speak with the enforcement staff," Cunningham said in a statement.

I guess the drumbeats got so loud that the NCAA could ignore their darling no longer. Not gonna lie, I'm stunned by this announcement. What's next? Corey Maggette?!!?

[Matrim Fox Cauthon]

Did he'll freeze open and I missed it?!!? NCAA to reopen UNC academic investigation.

I guess the drumbeats got so loud that the NCAA could ignore their darling no longer. Not gonna lie, I'm stunned by this announcement. What's next? Corey Maggette?!!?

The sound of hoof beats 'cross the glade!

Good folk, lock up your son and daughter.

Beware the deadly flashing blade

unless you want to end up shorter.

Black Adder, Black Adder!

He rides a pitch black steed.

Black Adder, Black Adder!

He's very bad indeed.

Black: his gloves of finest mole.

Black: his codpiece made of metal.

His horse is blacker than a vole;

his pot is blacker than his kettle.

Black Adder, Black Adder, with many a cunning plan.

Black Adder, Black Adder, you horrid little man.

[Greywolf2375]

The sound of hoof beats 'cross the glade!

Good folk, lock up your son and daughter.

Beware the deadly flashing blade

unless you want to end up shorter.

Black Adder, Black Adder!

He rides a pitch black steed.

Black Adder, Black Adder!

He's very bad indeed.

Black: his gloves of finest mole.

Black: his codpiece made of metal.

His horse is blacker than a vole;

his pot is blacker than his kettle.

Black Adder, Black Adder, with many a cunning plan.

Black Adder, Black Adder, you horrid little man.

I got nuthin' except

:bowdown: :bowdown:

[Ded As Ned]

Haters gonna hate. :box:

[Rhom]

Please, we don't even make the top ten dirtiest programs.. ;)

Now as an honest question MFC, does it not surprise you to see the NCAA open the investigation back up after so quickly shuffling it under the rug a couple years ago?

[Rhom]

And as it related to the topic title: Comcast is nearing a deal with the SEC network.

I'm still waiting to hear on DirecTV, but we do have Comcast available, so it's an option now. Time Warner has most of the Louisville market and appears ready to go down to the finish. Not picking it up will have dire consequences I believe.

[Ded As Ned]

Please, we don't even make the top ten dirtiest programs.. ;)

Now as an honest question MFC, does it not surprise you to see the NCAA open the investigation back up after so quickly shuffling it under the rug a couple years ago?

Since we've been squeaky-clean (gulp, afaik) in recent decades, I think that left us off the list. The first incident we shall not mention was well before my time, and with the other He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named (besides Laettner), well, I will begrudgingly admit we probably belong on that list. This post shall be deleted from the annals and forgotten as well.

And as it related to the topic title: Comcast is nearing a deal with the SEC network.

I'm still waiting to hear on DirecTV, but we do have Comcast available, so it's an option now. Time Warner has most of the Louisville market and appears ready to go down to the finish. Not picking it up will have dire consequences I believe.

Yeah as the article points out, in a few years this will be a moot point when AT&T owns DirecTV and TWC merges with Comcast... but in the meantime I think the holdouts will learn just how seriously SEC fans take this kind of thing.

[Greywolf2375]

Please, we don't even make the top ten dirtiest programs.. ;)

Now as an honest question MFC, does it not surprise you to see the NCAA open the investigation back up after so quickly shuffling it under the rug a couple years ago?

It definitely doesn't surprise me and what I want to know - forgetting infractions, etc - is at how many schools the classes that are being taken are available to the whole student body, prepare the student the same way as other classes of the same topic are, etc.

[Ded As Ned]

IIRC, the classes in question at UNC were basically sign up and get an A. Afaik all athletes have to take classes from the same pool as other students, but the high portion of athletes in these classes is certainly suspect.

I always heard of these types of classes when I was in college, alas every time I signed up for one it turned out to be not true, and quite the opposite. Every. Freaking. Time.

[Greywolf2375]

IIRC, the classes in question at UNC were basically sign up and get an A. Afaik all athletes have to take classes from the same pool as other students, but the high portion of athletes in these classes is certainly suspect.

I always heard of these types of classes when I was in college, alas every time I signed up for one it turned out to be not true, and quite the opposite. Every. Freaking. Time.

The way I have seen/heard it work is at most schools athletes (and some other programs) sign up for classes earlier than other students to allow for specific timing for practices, games, etc. So, for example, signing up for Marketing 101 for the 8am class with Teacher A gets filled by the athletes and then isn't available for later registrations because it is already full. So while that class is available in the larger pool, the pool is closed when the caddies show up.

[Ded As Ned]

Hmmm I'd never heard of that, not that I've ever researched it. I suppose there is some justification for letting athletes sign up first, but that clears up how these classes can fill up with mostly athletes, even though they're "offered" to the general student population.

[Ded As Ned]

Our good friend Dick Vitale:

Here’s a thought for you: How high would Kentucky’s second team be ranked if it played together at a different school? I believe the talent off the bench would be ranked in the top 15 in America. I will go out on a limb and say Kentucky’s A-team is numero uno, Kentucky’s B-team is No. 12.

Yes these are good times to be a UK basketball fan.

As only UK fans can do, they are already blowing up expectations. On the local ESPN radio call-in show yesterday they were asking callers how many losses they would "tolerate" out of this team next season, the most common answer was 2 or 3 (the most any caller said was 5). I remember the loud minority at the end of the regular season last year who were calling for Cal to be fired, looks like they're already getting warmed up.

For me personally, I don't care how many losses they have in the regular season as long as they make the tourney and win the last 6.

[Rhom]

I wasn't calling for Cal to be fired, but there was definitely a point last year where I was ready for him to move along if he felt like it. :dunno:

How many will I "tolerate"? I don't know if that's the best word for me, but I do think I would be disappointed with more than 4. Given the tough non-con schedule, I expect a loss or two before January. Given how week the SEC is and the losses Florida took to graduation, I will be surprised if we lose more than one conference game.