Great...Now They Are Pissed!

First of all, let me assure you that this post will NOT be exclusively about the embarrassment that currently is the Indiana University men's basketball team (so feel free to keep reading even if your name is not Tiffany, Liz or Lori). It just so happens that the circumstances faced by IU this season help me make a point. Second, this post is not solely about college basketball -- i've thrown in a nugget about football, as well as a few comments about the current scandal that will likely plague hockey for years to come (it's a pretty neat sport that is played on ice by a bunch of men who either grew up in a farm town in Western Canada with a population of 41 who now show their "independence" by sporting unkempt, long hair, men who spent their formative years in Boston or Minnesota and failed in their attempts to play baseball, football and basketball, or men who became legends in an eastern European/ Russian industrial nightmare because they could skate really, really fast. Oh yeah, it is also played with a puck and curved sticks). Anyway, on we go...

No, Wisconsin still does not belong on my "teams that I am impressed with" list even after drubbing IU last night. Indiana is simply a miserable basketball team right now that can't shoot and doesn't play defense. They now face an absolute must-win against Iowa on Saturday, unless they want a return appearance in the "not quite good enough" tournament (aka NIT). Of course, at this point it really does not matter what happens during the rest of the season as Hoosier fans are encouraged to prepare for a hard fall into the Big Ten basement in the next couple of years after the assured departure of Mike Davis (I'll explain next week why Davis will not be back to coach IU next year regardless of whether he loses every game the rest of the way or whether he pulls off a March stunner and wins the title).

While the Hoosiers have played like garbage recently, they have certainly been victim of, what in my mind, is terrible scheduling luck. The basic question that must be answered is as follows: would you rather play a team that is coming off a win or a loss? Sounds simple, right? Most experts argue that you would rather play a team that is coming off a loss (or two, or three) because such a team is "struggling." The team that has won its last game, on the other hand, is presumably "hot" and not a team that you want to face. I completely disagree.

In most cases, the team that is coming off of a loss is usually (a) supremely motivated; (b) angry; and (c) out to prove something. Now, of course, it really does not matter if your opponent is simply not very good, but talented teams present a different scenario. What's the old saying about a wounded animal? No, Todd, it has nothing to do with your neighbor's dog.

Thus far this year, IU has had to play at Michigan State when the Spartans were 0-2 in the Big Ten and "desparate" for a conference win; at Iowa when the Hawkeyes were coming off of a 30-point loss to MSU; and at Wisconsin following the Badgers' suprising loss to Purdue. Next up? The Iowa Hawkeyes, who naturally suffered a disappointing 51-48 setback in Evanston last night. Sigh...

So who would you rather see your favorite team play? Please feel free to comment below.

With Indiana playing like crud and the possibility arising that they may face a third-straight season of failing to see their name read on Selection Sunday, it may be time for me to adopt a new team. Yesterday, I wrote about the West Virginia Mountaineers and how, in my opinion, they are an example of how good college basketball can be. Well, the more I read about West Virginia, the more I like them. A couple of interesting tidbits...

- Guard Mike Gansey wears numerous baggy shirts under his jersey at the same time, shaves his legs and sleeps with a stuffed Scooby Doo

- Coach John Beilein spent 24 years coaching at basketball hotspots Erie Community College, LeMoyne and Nazareth before catching his big break with W.Va

- Center Kevin Pittsnogle rivals Dennis Rodman in number of tatoos, grew up in a trailer park, got married at the high school auditorium (the menu consisted of corn dogs, macaroni and Domino's pizza) and named his first-born son Kwynsie...Kwynsie?)

IU is certainly still number one in my heart, but I'd officially like to claim West Virginia as my second choice. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Mountaineers are 16-4 and undefeated in the Big East.

(By the way, is someone forwarding this blog to the West Virginia AD? It was no more than 2 hours after I posted my coaching carousel scenario that the AD announced that Coach Beilein was not going anywhere. I recognize and admitted in my post that this is a commonly reported scenario, but the timing...oh, the timing!)

Moving on, I would like to thank commenter Jeff for graciously reminding me that the Football season is NOT officially over despite my statement on Monday. This weekend is the annual "Who Gives a Crap" game, officially marketed by ESPN as the Pro Bowl. Word is that Steve McNair has been selected to replace Jake Plummer as an AFC reserve at QB. Excuse me. Steve McNair is in the Pro Bowl? What, did David Carr and Jay Fielder turn it down?

Sure, I'll be watching the Pro Bowl, if the 42,386 other things that I would rather be doing don't wind up as options. Let's see..I've trimmed the cat's nails, read Moby Dick cover-to-cover, watched the DVD extra features for Revenge of the Nerds 8, and bought all my holiday presents for 2006 through 2011...guess I'll watch the Pro Bowl!

Not included in the 42,386 options is helping Bonnie Bernstein set up her new company -- Velvet Hammer Media. It turns out that Ms. Bernstein has left CBS Sports to start her own media consulting firm. Is she sick of the travel? Is there someone who is pressuring her to settle down? Does Joe Chervin know something we don't know? Will I be able to get a babysitter on the day of the wedding?

For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, I encourage you to review the comments that were posted in response to my blog last Friday. Talk about perfect timing for this announcement!

Finally, as a sports fan who enjoys all sports, I feel compelled to comment on the Rick Tocchet- Wayne Gretzky- Janet Jones gambling scandal. I understand the arguments both ways -- those who claim that wagering on other sports is not a big deal versus those who argue that allowing intrasports wagering can lead to all kinds of nasty problems -- and am struggling with my own feelings on the matter. I suppose the more interesting part of the story deals with whether Gretzky knew that his wife was gambling so much money. First of all, can you imagine having do much money that you wouldn't realize that your spouse won or lost $75,000? My gut tells me that Wayne knew and likely supported Tocchet's ring. Whether he actually made any wagers...now, that's another story.

I know that is a pretty pathetic "anaylsis" of the scandal, but, for some reason, I just don't care (and I cannot seem to pinpoint precisely why).

Fins up all!!!