Not much to do but point you to the video below. Williams got a bit choked up, as he's known to do from time to time, as the sellout crowd fondly remembered the Hall of Famer's career. Enjoy.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Video of Gary Williams tribute
It's slim pickins out there for sports stories right now, so what better start to your Friday than the court-naming tribute video at Maryland for former head coach Gary Williams?
Not much to do but point you to the video below. Williams got a bit choked up, as he's known to do from time to time, as the sellout crowd fondly remembered the Hall of Famer's career. Enjoy.
Not much to do but point you to the video below. Williams got a bit choked up, as he's known to do from time to time, as the sellout crowd fondly remembered the Hall of Famer's career. Enjoy.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Driesell opposed "Gary Williams Court"
As I wrote last September, the University of Maryland planned to name the floor at Comcast Center after legendary head coach Gary Williams.
Last night, in first-year head coach Mark Turgeon's inaugural home game versus Duke, the Terps unveiled "Gary Williams Court" in front of a sold-out crowd.
It was a moment that touched the 17,950 in attendance and
thousands more through their television screens. The end of an era, now fondly remembered by the jerseys in the rafters and the signature on the court.
It's hard to think of anyone associated with the Terps men's basketball program who would have any opposition to the court-naming. That's why it came as such a shock when former head coach Lefty Driesell, who led the Terps from 1969 to 1986 and national prominence, called the court-naming "unfair."
Two days before the naming was made official, Driesell told the Baltimore Sun's Jeff Barker that, "It's not fair to my players that they would put Gary Williams' name on the court. It's a disservice to players such as Tom McMillen, John Lucas, Len Elmore, Brad Davis, Greg Manning, Adrian Branch and Steve Sheppard."
Sour grapes, for sure. But considering this was announced months ago, the timing looks particularly classless from Driesell's end.
But fans -- particularly the under-30 crowd -- associate Williams with Comcast Center, not Cole Field House, where Driesell coached all of his 507 games. And while it'd be good to see Lefty honored at some point, that may have to wait a bit longer than it would have if he had simply kept quiet.
And though Maryland fell to mighty Duke for the 10th time in 11 games, the night was still special for Terps fans.
Last night, in first-year head coach Mark Turgeon's inaugural home game versus Duke, the Terps unveiled "Gary Williams Court" in front of a sold-out crowd.
It was a moment that touched the 17,950 in attendance and
thousands more through their television screens. The end of an era, now fondly remembered by the jerseys in the rafters and the signature on the court.It's hard to think of anyone associated with the Terps men's basketball program who would have any opposition to the court-naming. That's why it came as such a shock when former head coach Lefty Driesell, who led the Terps from 1969 to 1986 and national prominence, called the court-naming "unfair."
Two days before the naming was made official, Driesell told the Baltimore Sun's Jeff Barker that, "It's not fair to my players that they would put Gary Williams' name on the court. It's a disservice to players such as Tom McMillen, John Lucas, Len Elmore, Brad Davis, Greg Manning, Adrian Branch and Steve Sheppard."
Sour grapes, for sure. But considering this was announced months ago, the timing looks particularly classless from Driesell's end.
But fans -- particularly the under-30 crowd -- associate Williams with Comcast Center, not Cole Field House, where Driesell coached all of his 507 games. And while it'd be good to see Lefty honored at some point, that may have to wait a bit longer than it would have if he had simply kept quiet.
And though Maryland fell to mighty Duke for the 10th time in 11 games, the night was still special for Terps fans.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Flip Saunders out as Wiz coach
After two and a half mediocre years, the Washington Wizards have canned head coach Flip Saunders.
Crap. I hope my blog post from three weeks ago wasn't the nail in the coffin.
The Wizards, who have advanced past the first round of the
NBA playoffs just once since 1981, must now find and convince someone that it's a gig worth taking. Good luck.
Saunders never really had much of a shot in Washington. The veteran coach -- who had led Minnesota and Detroit to postseasons in 11 of his 13 seasons prior to coming to the nation's capital -- went just 51-130 in his stint with Washington.
That's what happens when you surround the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft (John Wall) with an entire team that has cumulatively had two All-Star Game appearances (Rashard Lewis both times). Saunders was the scapegoat, and he knows it. And that sucks, because the Wizards aren't going to get a better coach.
They fired Eddie Jordan, who led the Wizards to four postseasons in six years. And they fired Doug Collins, who went 37-45 twice, missing the playoffs both years. Collins took over head coaching duties with the Sixers and led them to the playoffs last year (and likely this year, too).
After a while, it's hard to think it's not you.
Washington needs to figure things out quickly. It only has Wall under contract for two more seasons before he's a restricted free agent. And outside of him, the team's talent from top to bottom is arguably the worst in the league. Players like Nick Young and JaVale McGee are complementary pieces on playoff rosters, not guys who should be starting -- and leading the team in points or rebounds in any given night.
It's not a great time to be a Wizards fan, that's for sure. The team needs a talent infusion quickly, and getting a high pick in the lottery and drafting a big man like Kentucky's Anthony Davis or Kansas' Thomas Robinson would be a step in the right direction. Until then, look for the Wizards to have the most ping pong balls in the lottery come June.
Crap. I hope my blog post from three weeks ago wasn't the nail in the coffin.
The Wizards, who have advanced past the first round of the
NBA playoffs just once since 1981, must now find and convince someone that it's a gig worth taking. Good luck.Saunders never really had much of a shot in Washington. The veteran coach -- who had led Minnesota and Detroit to postseasons in 11 of his 13 seasons prior to coming to the nation's capital -- went just 51-130 in his stint with Washington.
That's what happens when you surround the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft (John Wall) with an entire team that has cumulatively had two All-Star Game appearances (Rashard Lewis both times). Saunders was the scapegoat, and he knows it. And that sucks, because the Wizards aren't going to get a better coach.
They fired Eddie Jordan, who led the Wizards to four postseasons in six years. And they fired Doug Collins, who went 37-45 twice, missing the playoffs both years. Collins took over head coaching duties with the Sixers and led them to the playoffs last year (and likely this year, too).
After a while, it's hard to think it's not you.
Washington needs to figure things out quickly. It only has Wall under contract for two more seasons before he's a restricted free agent. And outside of him, the team's talent from top to bottom is arguably the worst in the league. Players like Nick Young and JaVale McGee are complementary pieces on playoff rosters, not guys who should be starting -- and leading the team in points or rebounds in any given night.
It's not a great time to be a Wizards fan, that's for sure. The team needs a talent infusion quickly, and getting a high pick in the lottery and drafting a big man like Kentucky's Anthony Davis or Kansas' Thomas Robinson would be a step in the right direction. Until then, look for the Wizards to have the most ping pong balls in the lottery come June.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Skip Bayless officially a douchebag
Merriam-Webster's two definitions of the word "douche bag" include "an unattractive or offensive person," and "ESPN's Skip Bayless."After the Ravens' 23-20 loss to New England, Bayless tweeted "Honestly, I felt sorry for Suggs/Ray/EReed. Fought guts out, lost b/c a nonplayer missed easy kick. WHY I HATE FG KICKING. Ban it!"
Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowler Terrell Suggs took exception to it and called into ESPN's First Take on Monday morning.
Bayless claimed the Ravens were making excuses for the loss, to which Suggs told him he was off-base. Bayless said he was just repeating the linebacker's words. Then Suggs unleashed the gem we've been waiting for for years:
"Stop that. I know what you're doing. Once again, stop it. Be an analyst. Don't be a douchebag. You know what I meant," Suggs said.
Suggs putting Bayless in his place... and saying, word for word, what anyone who has ever seen Bayless on TV has said before. Check out the video below.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Cundiff kick costs Ravens
Following Baltimore's heartbreaking 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots in yesterday's AFC Championship game, it's easy for Ravens fans to beat themselves up with "what ifs."
Kicker Billy Cundiff's last-second field goal attempt from 32 yards out sailed wide left and the Ravens' season came to an abrupt end.
What if wide receiver Lee Evans had held onto that
last-second touchdown pass? What if Joe Flacco had tucked it and run on third down? What if the Ravens' coaching staff had called a timeout, giving Cundiff enough time to set up for his field goal attempt to send the game into overtime?
What makes it especially tough is that, with NFC juggernauts Green Bay and New Orleans -- arguably the two best teams in the league -- out of the playoffs, the game against New England was Baltimore's biggest hurdle to winning its second Super Bowl. A game against San Francisco (who the Ravens already beat) or the New York Giants (who barely even made the playoffs) awaited the AFC champions.
But there's nothing you can do now, and as much as it sucks, we're now watching the Patriots compete for their fifth Super Bowl since 2001.
If it's any comfort, Ravens fans, at least you aren't a Redskins fan. At least you have a young, winning head coach for the foreseeable future. You have a franchise running back, a top-rated defense, a young quarterback who has won five playoff games in his first four seasons. The Redskins have... well, not much.
Come April, the Ravens will be drafting to replace Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis. Lewis has already stated his intent to return next year, and he'll be able to mentor whoever Baltimore drafts at middle linebacker. Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict or Alabama's Dont'a Hightower look like stars in the making, and if either are around late in the first round, either one would be a steal for the Ravens.
After that, the Ravens need to draft a center and shore up some depth in the secondary. That's it. That's the list. Baltimore has to decide whether or not to re-sign some key players in free agency, including linebackers Jarret Johnson and Jameel McClain, running back Ray Rice, offensive linemen Ben Grubbs and Matt Birk, safeties Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski, and defensive linemen Brandon McKinney and Cory Redding.
But Baltimore has proven to be a player-friendly franchise, and being a playoff contender certainly doesn't hurt its chances of retaining the players it wants.
Bottom line, this is a team that returns almost everyone next year besides a few key reserves and one or two starters. It doesn't need to address much in the draft, and it's a team that should be contending for a Super Bowl in the next five or so seasons. The Ravens ought to be competing for an AFC Championship again next season. So keep your heads up, Ravens fans. The future is bright.
Kicker Billy Cundiff's last-second field goal attempt from 32 yards out sailed wide left and the Ravens' season came to an abrupt end.
What if wide receiver Lee Evans had held onto that
last-second touchdown pass? What if Joe Flacco had tucked it and run on third down? What if the Ravens' coaching staff had called a timeout, giving Cundiff enough time to set up for his field goal attempt to send the game into overtime?What makes it especially tough is that, with NFC juggernauts Green Bay and New Orleans -- arguably the two best teams in the league -- out of the playoffs, the game against New England was Baltimore's biggest hurdle to winning its second Super Bowl. A game against San Francisco (who the Ravens already beat) or the New York Giants (who barely even made the playoffs) awaited the AFC champions.
But there's nothing you can do now, and as much as it sucks, we're now watching the Patriots compete for their fifth Super Bowl since 2001.
If it's any comfort, Ravens fans, at least you aren't a Redskins fan. At least you have a young, winning head coach for the foreseeable future. You have a franchise running back, a top-rated defense, a young quarterback who has won five playoff games in his first four seasons. The Redskins have... well, not much.
Come April, the Ravens will be drafting to replace Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis. Lewis has already stated his intent to return next year, and he'll be able to mentor whoever Baltimore drafts at middle linebacker. Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict or Alabama's Dont'a Hightower look like stars in the making, and if either are around late in the first round, either one would be a steal for the Ravens.
After that, the Ravens need to draft a center and shore up some depth in the secondary. That's it. That's the list. Baltimore has to decide whether or not to re-sign some key players in free agency, including linebackers Jarret Johnson and Jameel McClain, running back Ray Rice, offensive linemen Ben Grubbs and Matt Birk, safeties Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski, and defensive linemen Brandon McKinney and Cory Redding.
But Baltimore has proven to be a player-friendly franchise, and being a playoff contender certainly doesn't hurt its chances of retaining the players it wants.
Bottom line, this is a team that returns almost everyone next year besides a few key reserves and one or two starters. It doesn't need to address much in the draft, and it's a team that should be contending for a Super Bowl in the next five or so seasons. The Ravens ought to be competing for an AFC Championship again next season. So keep your heads up, Ravens fans. The future is bright.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
