I am not quite sure what the general consensus is of the new V3 but let me just tell you that I am loving it. As of now I plan on blogging on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule but am a day late today due to having a 6 page paper to write yesterday. I am also checking Malcolm Read for blogging tips. As much as I love being in college, the classes really put a damper on things. Anyway, let’s blog!
-Before I get to the college sports scene (yes this is a college basketball blog too), I just wanted to throw my two cents in regarding Trish Stratus’ retirement match. I think we all knew that she was going to go out a winner, but going out with the Sharpshooter was one of the cooler things I have ever seen in all of my years watching wrestling. I’ve been to ROH, ECW, Wrestlemania’s 2, 18 and 20, and more Raw, Smackdown, PPV and house shows than you can imagine and eventhough I was watching on TV, the sharpshooter ranks #2 all-time behind Hogan/Rock. I know Hogan/Rock at WM 18 wasn’t exactly a 5 star affair but it’s one of those things you had to be at to understand. I’ve watched it numerous times since but TV just doesn’t do it justice as I am sure TV did not do Trish’s Sharpshooter justice. Congrats Trish, the wrestling world just lost a legend.
-Sticking with things that really meant a lot to me, without a doubt a huge thumbs up is in order to Chris Fowler. In a day and age where TV is ran for the sole purpose of dollar signs and little regard for the viewing audience, Fowler stepped up and took one for the team this past weekend. In a column this past Friday, he explained why ESPN’s College Gameday was being held at the USC/Nebraska game and apologized to the fans for it being held there. Fowler acknowledged that there were much better games on the slate for the day and admitted that he would rather be doing the show from one of them but that the USC decision was from up above and there was nothing he could do. He then went on to explain the business reasons as to why the show was being held at USC and not at another locale and it was something that really meant a lot to me as a fan. By no means am I an insider, but I do read a ton and know more than the average fan, and I can say that honesty like that in this business is few and far between. Kudos to Chris Fowler, what you did was much appreciated.
-A major story that is making the rounds is Sonny Vaccaro’s plan to potentially revolutionize amateur basketball as we know it. Vaccaro, arguably the most powerful and influencial person in the amateur basketball world, is in the midst of putting together a basketball academy that may be funded and approved by the NBA, NCAA and USA Basketball. The academy would recruit players from all over the country to come and train at the facility with the catch being that the players would play their high school basketball for local schools in the area of wherever the academy winds up being. The plan would no doubt improve fundamental basketball amongst the elite amateurs in America but is still in it’s early stages of development. Credit goes to ESPN.com’s Andy Katz for breaking this story as that should be no surprise as he is the hardest working journalist in all of college basketball.
-Thoughts and prayers go out to the members of the Duquesne basketball team who were involved in an on-campus shooting over the weekend. At a time where athletes are constantly in the news for all the wrong reasons, these young men were trying to break up a fight and unfortunately were in the wrong place at the wrong time. A speedy recovery to all those involved.
-And finally, congrats are in order to my New York Mets who finally captured the National Leauge East title, their first since 1988. It took them nearly a week to clinch but it was definitely worth the wait to do it in front of the Shea Stadium faithful.
That’s all for today, if not tomorrow then my next entry will definitely be on Friday. Until then, take care.
