Well, so much for allowing the "better than expected" performance against Miami to get my hopes up. I should know better.
I remember how happy we generally were with the “better than expected” 42-24 loss to fifth-ranked UCLA at Robertson Stadium in 1998. The Cougars played the Bruins tough; they had more first downs, had more time of possession, piled up 173 rushing yards against the vaunted Bruin defense, sacked that whiny, overrated prick Cade McNown (where is he these days?) three times, and only trailed 21-14 at halftime.
Many people thought that game showed just how improved the Cougars had become after close losses to California and Minnesota, and that the game was a turning point.
Of course, it was not. The following weekend the Cougars went to Knoxville, got rolled by eventual national champion Tennessee 42-7, and ended the season with a 3-8 record. The Cougars even lost to a 2-9 Cincinnati team and a 3-8 Army squad.
The Miami game in many ways reminds me a lot of the UCLA game. The Coogs played a top-ranked opponent tough at home and many of us were happy because the Coogs showed signs of life as they covered the spread and in some statistical categories even beat the Hurricanes. Now they follow it up by traveling to the state of Tennessee and regressing horribly (even though Memphis is not going to be confused with the '98 Vols).
7 offensive points. Against the same Memphis defense that gave up 28 points to Arkansas freakin' State! Even Division I-AA Chattanooga scored 21 against these guys! I am I really supposed to believe that our offense is worse than either of those teams? Maybe so. As another fan recently pointed out to me, the Coogs' offensive point production has so far been nothing short of, well, offensive.
I also find it troubling that the defense only gave up 172 yards against Miami and sacked Brock Berlin 5 times, yet allowed 333 yards against Memphis (262 by DeAngelo Williams alone) and didn’t get to the Tigers' quarterback (Wimprine?) once.
All in all, a huge step backwards. I don't know if I was really expecting the Cougars to beat Memphis on the road, but I can honestly say I wasn't expecting the team to perform this badly.
Yes, Memphis had motivation to clobber us after losing to UAB the week before. But did the Cougars not have motivation of their own, after being embarrassed by the Tigers in their home stadium the year before? Did the Coogs come to play today, or not? I don't know because I wasn't there, but it certainly didn't sound like it.
Even though I knew it would be tough to do so with this schedule, I really was hoping for a 6-5 record this year because this program needs, more than anything else, to string together some consecutive winning seasons if it is going to make any progress. But now it looks like the Coogs will be lucky to end this season with a 3-8 record. TCU is certainly an underperformer this season, but I'm not sure the Coogs will be able to take advantage of it, and at this point you know Tulane and East Carolina are looking forward to their trips to Robertson.
The Coogs just lost too much from last year's team and are playing too difficult a schedule this year. Add in other areas of regression, such as special teams, mental mistakes (penalties, fumbles, dropped passes) and the like, and the result is that this season simply represents a big step back for the team and the program. Unless a miracle happens, the Coogs are looking at their 14th losing season in the last 20 years.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015.)
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
It could have been a lot worse.
Last Thursday, the Cougars played the Miami Hurricanes a lot closer than the 13-38 final score might indicate. Houston gained more first downs and more total yards than Miami, held the ball longer than Miami, sacked Cane QB Brock Berlin five times and even scored the first touchdown against the Miami defense this season. However, mistakes killed the Coogs; a blocked punt less than a minute into the game and a fumble in the second half were both returned for touchdowns. Houston also couldn’t convert in the red zone, coming away with a touchdown and two field goals on four trips inside Miami’s 20.
While you can definitely take away a lot of positives from this game if you’re a Coog fan – the team performed much better against Miami than they did against Oklahoma two weeks earlier – there are still a lot of areas of concern that the coaching staff needs to address. It will be interesting to see how the Cougars fare against Memphis this weekend.
After the game Thursday night, while I was at McGowen Station waiting for the train to take me downtown, a couple of thugs came up to me, asked me for money, and then cursed at me when I wouldn't give them any, pulled my cell phone off my belt and ran away. I guess I’m lucky that they didn’t pull a gun on me or take my wallet as well.
Why would you steal somebody’s cell phone, anyway? The minute I got downtown I called Lori and told her to call Sprint to have the phone deactivated, and now the thing is useless.
Anyway, I’ve learned my lesson: from now on my cell phone stays in my pocket, not on my belt.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015. I reported the theft to METRO Police and got a new phone.)
While you can definitely take away a lot of positives from this game if you’re a Coog fan – the team performed much better against Miami than they did against Oklahoma two weeks earlier – there are still a lot of areas of concern that the coaching staff needs to address. It will be interesting to see how the Cougars fare against Memphis this weekend.
After the game Thursday night, while I was at McGowen Station waiting for the train to take me downtown, a couple of thugs came up to me, asked me for money, and then cursed at me when I wouldn't give them any, pulled my cell phone off my belt and ran away. I guess I’m lucky that they didn’t pull a gun on me or take my wallet as well.
Why would you steal somebody’s cell phone, anyway? The minute I got downtown I called Lori and told her to call Sprint to have the phone deactivated, and now the thing is useless.
Anyway, I’ve learned my lesson: from now on my cell phone stays in my pocket, not on my belt.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015. I reported the theft to METRO Police and got a new phone.)
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Houston 35, Army 21
It was ugly, but I’ll take it.
The Cougars secured their first win of the season with a victory over Army last Saturday night, 35-21, at Robertson Stadium. Houston pulled out the victory with a lot of help from Anthony Evans, who racked up 282 rushing yards. Army played tough and even tied the game midway through the fourth quarter, but they could not snap their losing streak – the nation’s longest – which is now at 16 games. In spite of the win, it’s clear that there are many areas of concern for the Coogs as they head into Thursday night’s mauling against Miami at Reliant Stadium.
The game was also noteworthy because Kirby made his tailgating and football debut. He decided not to stay for the entire game, however; he and his mommy were getting too hot.
Speaking of which, today marks the official start of fall, my favorite season of the year. Of course, there really isn’t much to “autumn” in Houston: the oppressive heat and humidity lingers until at least mid-October and there’s never any colorful fall foliage to see here. But those few short weeks between mid-October and late November, after the first cool fronts have blown through but before the truly cold weather arrives, when the skies are clear and the temperatures perfect, are worth the wait.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015.)
The Cougars secured their first win of the season with a victory over Army last Saturday night, 35-21, at Robertson Stadium. Houston pulled out the victory with a lot of help from Anthony Evans, who racked up 282 rushing yards. Army played tough and even tied the game midway through the fourth quarter, but they could not snap their losing streak – the nation’s longest – which is now at 16 games. In spite of the win, it’s clear that there are many areas of concern for the Coogs as they head into Thursday night’s mauling against Miami at Reliant Stadium.
The game was also noteworthy because Kirby made his tailgating and football debut. He decided not to stay for the entire game, however; he and his mommy were getting too hot.
Speaking of which, today marks the official start of fall, my favorite season of the year. Of course, there really isn’t much to “autumn” in Houston: the oppressive heat and humidity lingers until at least mid-October and there’s never any colorful fall foliage to see here. But those few short weeks between mid-October and late November, after the first cool fronts have blown through but before the truly cold weather arrives, when the skies are clear and the temperatures perfect, are worth the wait.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015.)
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Houston 7, Rice 10
So I spend eight months waiting for football season to arrive, and it turns out to be a huge letdown when it finally gets here.
I knew it was going to be a long afternoon when the Cougars fumbled the opening kickoff. Special teams miscues were just one of the many weak spots exhibited by the Cougars during this game. The biggest weak spot was the offensive line. I'm not sure I can recall ever seeing a Houston O-line get dominated by a D-line as thoroughly and as badly as they did Sunday afternoon. I knew the O-line was an area of concern after losing three starters from last year, but I never thought it would be this bad. Kevin Kolb was sacked six times and the Coogs netted exactly eight (8) rushing yards in the entire game. It took a touchdown with nine seconds left to keep the game from being a shutout. If the offensive line doesn't improve quickly, the Coogs will be lucky to go 3-8 this season. That's not hyperbole.
On the bright side, the Cougar defense looks a lot better. Marquay Love, Joe Clay and Lance Everson looked really good, and the defense did a great job in spite of the fact that they got no support from special teams (oftentimes Rice would begin their drives on the Houston side of the field) or the offense. They held Rice's potent triple option attack to a single touchdown. When you hold your opponent to ten points, you should usually be able to win the game.
Props to Rice. They were the better team this afternoon. Ken Hatfield and his staff did their homework and they had the Owls ready to play. The Cougars, on the other hand, really looked unprepared.
Rice has now won five out of the last nine meetings between the two schools.
The Reliant Stadium experience was underwhelming. The crowd of 28,726 – unsurprisingly small, since there seemed to be almost no marketing of this game to the casual sports fan – looked lost in the cavernous environs of the 69,500-seat pro stadium. In fact, with the roof closed and the crowd scattered among the vastness of empty seats, the stadium’s atmosphere was just as sterile and uninviting as the Astrodome. The grass was in poor condition. The acoustics were horrible. The concession stands were understaffed and some weren’t even open at all. I received my tickets ahead of time and I took the train to the game, so I didn’t have the same bad experiences as some other fans with regards to parking and ticket-buying. But, in general, I can’t say I was too impressed with Reliant as a college venue.
I’m trying to stay optimistic about the season – it is only one game, after all – but this loss does not bode well for the Cougars. Houston has never had a winning year after beginning the season with a loss to Rice. Given the murderous nature of the 2004 schedule, this was a game the Coogs could ill-afford to lose.
Yikes.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015.)
I knew it was going to be a long afternoon when the Cougars fumbled the opening kickoff. Special teams miscues were just one of the many weak spots exhibited by the Cougars during this game. The biggest weak spot was the offensive line. I'm not sure I can recall ever seeing a Houston O-line get dominated by a D-line as thoroughly and as badly as they did Sunday afternoon. I knew the O-line was an area of concern after losing three starters from last year, but I never thought it would be this bad. Kevin Kolb was sacked six times and the Coogs netted exactly eight (8) rushing yards in the entire game. It took a touchdown with nine seconds left to keep the game from being a shutout. If the offensive line doesn't improve quickly, the Coogs will be lucky to go 3-8 this season. That's not hyperbole.
On the bright side, the Cougar defense looks a lot better. Marquay Love, Joe Clay and Lance Everson looked really good, and the defense did a great job in spite of the fact that they got no support from special teams (oftentimes Rice would begin their drives on the Houston side of the field) or the offense. They held Rice's potent triple option attack to a single touchdown. When you hold your opponent to ten points, you should usually be able to win the game.
Props to Rice. They were the better team this afternoon. Ken Hatfield and his staff did their homework and they had the Owls ready to play. The Cougars, on the other hand, really looked unprepared.
Rice has now won five out of the last nine meetings between the two schools.
The Reliant Stadium experience was underwhelming. The crowd of 28,726 – unsurprisingly small, since there seemed to be almost no marketing of this game to the casual sports fan – looked lost in the cavernous environs of the 69,500-seat pro stadium. In fact, with the roof closed and the crowd scattered among the vastness of empty seats, the stadium’s atmosphere was just as sterile and uninviting as the Astrodome. The grass was in poor condition. The acoustics were horrible. The concession stands were understaffed and some weren’t even open at all. I received my tickets ahead of time and I took the train to the game, so I didn’t have the same bad experiences as some other fans with regards to parking and ticket-buying. But, in general, I can’t say I was too impressed with Reliant as a college venue.
I’m trying to stay optimistic about the season – it is only one game, after all – but this loss does not bode well for the Cougars. Houston has never had a winning year after beginning the season with a loss to Rice. Given the murderous nature of the 2004 schedule, this was a game the Coogs could ill-afford to lose.
Yikes.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015.)
Saturday, August 21, 2004
Kirby Benton Gray
Kirby Benton Gray was born this evening at 9:07 pm CDT at the Womans Hospital of Texas, weighing 6 pounds 15 ounces. Lori is doing well; however, Kirby has been taken to NICU for observation. I'm simply too exhausted to go into detail right now; I'll provide more information on his page in the coming days.
Kirby Benton gets his name from both sides of his family. Kirby is Lori's grandfather's name, and Benton is my middle name (as well as my father's and my grandfather's). He has a huge family to help take care of him: three great-grandparents, all four grandparents, three uncles, two aunts, one cousin and numerous great aunts and uncles and second cousins.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015. "His page" was taken down when I got rid of my old website. Hard to believe he's now 11 years old.)
Kirby Benton gets his name from both sides of his family. Kirby is Lori's grandfather's name, and Benton is my middle name (as well as my father's and my grandfather's). He has a huge family to help take care of him: three great-grandparents, all four grandparents, three uncles, two aunts, one cousin and numerous great aunts and uncles and second cousins.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015. "His page" was taken down when I got rid of my old website. Hard to believe he's now 11 years old.)
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
UNT quarterback perishes in crash
North Texas quarterback Andrew Smith was killed in a car crash this past weekend. Smith, who would have been a junior this fall, had already started 16 games during his career at UNT and was expected to battle senior quarterback Scott Hall for the starting spot this fall. Lori and I got to see Smith play in person on a few occasions, including the 2002 New Orleans Bowl, where North Texas defeated Cincinnati 24-19 to win its first bowl game in over 50 years. While he wasn't going to be a Heisman contender, Smith was a solid athlete who led his team well.
Ironically, Smith led his high school team, Bay City, to a state title by beating a team from Denton - Denton Ryan - in the 2000 Division 4A championship game.
Andrew Smith was 21.
Condolences go to Mr. Smith's family, his classmates and teammates at the University of North Texas, and to Mean Green fans everywhere.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015.)
Ironically, Smith led his high school team, Bay City, to a state title by beating a team from Denton - Denton Ryan - in the 2000 Division 4A championship game.
Andrew Smith was 21.
Condolences go to Mr. Smith's family, his classmates and teammates at the University of North Texas, and to Mean Green fans everywhere.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015.)
Sunday, July 18, 2004
When ill-informed homebuyers attack
Two Thursdays ago, I had business to attend to at the City of Houston’s Planning Commission meeting. It was the first time I had been to a Commission meeting in Houston, and it brought back memories from my days in Denton, with discussions about plats, variances, Texas Local Government Code regulations, and the like. It was all so eerily familiar; the only difference is that, since Houston has no zoning, the Commission obviously doesn't hear rezoning applications.
Despite the fact that there is no zoning in Houston, homeowners here complain about unwanted development in their neighborhoods just as much as homeowners in Denton did. Several replat and variance cases regarding new townhome construction (which, over the past several years, has become ubiquitous inside Loop 610 as people begin moving back into the inner city) drew protests from property owners who didn't like the fact that a developer was about to bulldoze a nearby single-family tract, subdivide it into three or four narrow lots, and build boxy three-story townhomes on them. However, their protests were for naught; if the replats conformed to all applicable city regulations and there were no deed restrictions to prohibit such types of development, then state law required the Commission to approve the replat. Without zoning, the question as to whether such proposed development is compatible with surrounding land uses or densities is irrelevant.
Which made me wonder: were these complaining property owners around eleven years ago, when Houston's most recent attempt at zoning was narrowly defeated in a referendum? If so, how did they vote?
Then there was the new homeowner in Fourth Ward who came to complain about the narrow streets in his neighborhood. He thought the city was stupid and irresponsible for allowing such narrow streets to be built in the first place. He apparently didn't understand that he had purchased a townhome in what was once an historic African-American neighborhood settled by freed slaves after the Civil War (which has since been almost completely bulldozed by townhome developers). Because these freed slaves were collectively allocated a relatively small tract of land on what was then the outskirts of Houston, they had to conserve space by building narrow streets and small houses. Even after this bit of history was explained to him, however, he was not satisfied and continued to complain.
Ah, the joys of gentrification. Inner-city home-buyers, like their suburban counterparts, need to do their research before buying that new inside-the-loop townhome. The history behind your new neighborhood is an important a thing for you to learn and know.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015.)
Despite the fact that there is no zoning in Houston, homeowners here complain about unwanted development in their neighborhoods just as much as homeowners in Denton did. Several replat and variance cases regarding new townhome construction (which, over the past several years, has become ubiquitous inside Loop 610 as people begin moving back into the inner city) drew protests from property owners who didn't like the fact that a developer was about to bulldoze a nearby single-family tract, subdivide it into three or four narrow lots, and build boxy three-story townhomes on them. However, their protests were for naught; if the replats conformed to all applicable city regulations and there were no deed restrictions to prohibit such types of development, then state law required the Commission to approve the replat. Without zoning, the question as to whether such proposed development is compatible with surrounding land uses or densities is irrelevant.
Which made me wonder: were these complaining property owners around eleven years ago, when Houston's most recent attempt at zoning was narrowly defeated in a referendum? If so, how did they vote?
Then there was the new homeowner in Fourth Ward who came to complain about the narrow streets in his neighborhood. He thought the city was stupid and irresponsible for allowing such narrow streets to be built in the first place. He apparently didn't understand that he had purchased a townhome in what was once an historic African-American neighborhood settled by freed slaves after the Civil War (which has since been almost completely bulldozed by townhome developers). Because these freed slaves were collectively allocated a relatively small tract of land on what was then the outskirts of Houston, they had to conserve space by building narrow streets and small houses. Even after this bit of history was explained to him, however, he was not satisfied and continued to complain.
Ah, the joys of gentrification. Inner-city home-buyers, like their suburban counterparts, need to do their research before buying that new inside-the-loop townhome. The history behind your new neighborhood is an important a thing for you to learn and know.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015.)
The Astros suck.
The slumping Astros skidded into the All-Star break with a .500 record, having lost 7 out of their last ten games. This triggered the replacement of Jimy Williams, whose tenure as manager of the Astros can best be described as mediocre. Phil Garner takes over as the team's skipper, and the hope is that this change in management will cause the underperforming team, which as of July 18th is in 5th place in the NL Central Division and 12 games behind division-leading St. Louis, to turn things around and claw its way back into title contention.
Yeah, right. The Astros have about as much chance of contending for the NL Central title as Ralph Nader has of winning the presidency. Even if the Astros could somehow right their sinking ship, they're no way they'll be able to catch up to the red-hot Cardinals. Their best hope for the postseason, should they actually start winning again, is to get into a position to compete for the NL wild card spot. And at this point, the chances of that happening appear to be very slim. Especially since something like eight or nine teams are ahead of them in the wild-card race. The Astros, quite frankly, will do well to avoid a losing season.
In a word, they suck.
2004 was supposed to be "the" year for the Astros. With the much-hyped offseason signing of Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens, the 'Stros were supposed to not only contend for the division crown but be in the World Series picture. And indeed, the team started the season well and at one point enjoyed sitting at the top of the NL Central with a 21-11 record. However, by mid-May the downhill slide began; between May 12th and the start of the All-Star Break the Astros went 23-33 and quickly found their way into the division cellar. Even the trade for Carlos Beltran, intended to augment the team's anemic performance at the plate, had little effect.
As disappointing as it is to watch, I am not surprised by the team's descent into oblivion. These are the Astros, after all: the biggest underachievers in a city full of underachieving sports teams (hey, even the freakin' Oilers managed to get past the first round of the playoffs now and then). This team has broken my heart so many times that I've come to expect this type of performance from them. In fact, the only thing that surprises me at all about this year's slump is that it's occurring so early. Usually, the Astros wait until the end of the season to begin sucking and fall out of playoff contention. Or, they make it to the playoffs and lose in the first round (as they did in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001). That's why I chuckled at all the offseason hype surrounding Pettite and Clemens: I knew it wouldn't do any good.
New manager? Please. What this team needs is an exorcist...
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015. The Astros, of course, would make an impressive rally over the second half of the season and get into the playoffs.)
Yeah, right. The Astros have about as much chance of contending for the NL Central title as Ralph Nader has of winning the presidency. Even if the Astros could somehow right their sinking ship, they're no way they'll be able to catch up to the red-hot Cardinals. Their best hope for the postseason, should they actually start winning again, is to get into a position to compete for the NL wild card spot. And at this point, the chances of that happening appear to be very slim. Especially since something like eight or nine teams are ahead of them in the wild-card race. The Astros, quite frankly, will do well to avoid a losing season.
In a word, they suck.
2004 was supposed to be "the" year for the Astros. With the much-hyped offseason signing of Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens, the 'Stros were supposed to not only contend for the division crown but be in the World Series picture. And indeed, the team started the season well and at one point enjoyed sitting at the top of the NL Central with a 21-11 record. However, by mid-May the downhill slide began; between May 12th and the start of the All-Star Break the Astros went 23-33 and quickly found their way into the division cellar. Even the trade for Carlos Beltran, intended to augment the team's anemic performance at the plate, had little effect.
As disappointing as it is to watch, I am not surprised by the team's descent into oblivion. These are the Astros, after all: the biggest underachievers in a city full of underachieving sports teams (hey, even the freakin' Oilers managed to get past the first round of the playoffs now and then). This team has broken my heart so many times that I've come to expect this type of performance from them. In fact, the only thing that surprises me at all about this year's slump is that it's occurring so early. Usually, the Astros wait until the end of the season to begin sucking and fall out of playoff contention. Or, they make it to the playoffs and lose in the first round (as they did in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001). That's why I chuckled at all the offseason hype surrounding Pettite and Clemens: I knew it wouldn't do any good.
New manager? Please. What this team needs is an exorcist...
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015. The Astros, of course, would make an impressive rally over the second half of the season and get into the playoffs.)
Monday, July 05, 2004
The home stretch!
As of July 6, Lori and I have only 60 more days left until the baby's due date. Right now Lori is in full "nesting" mode. She's rearranging furniture and cleaning closets in order to make room for all the baby's stuff, and she's constantly on my case to put away my drafting table and my film editing equipment so there will be enough room for the crib and other baby-related items. Needless to say, life is going to dramatically change for all of us soon. Especially for these guys:
At least Lori and I know what's coming. The cats don't. How are they going to react when we bring home a small, hairless animal who sleeps and cries a lot and demands all of Lori's and my attention?
Here's what I predict: Athena (squinting, on the left) will absolutely hate the baby. She doesn't think she gets enough attention as it is and is always jealous of the other two cats. Come September, she will probably spend all her time hiding under the couch, sulking, and won't go near the baby. Elektra (staring, on the lower right) is the curious one and will probably spend a lot of time observing this new creature, even if only from a safe distance. At least until the baby begins to cry; then she'll get scared and run away. And Hermes III (looking away, at the top) will probably try to sleep in the crib with the baby. He likes to be as close to the center of attention as possible, and he'll therefore hang out as close to the baby as he can.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015. We more or less accurately predicted how the cats would react to Kirby, although Athena wasn't quite as skittish around the baby as we expected. And yes, Hermes III did try to sleep in the crib with the baby!)
Here's what I predict: Athena (squinting, on the left) will absolutely hate the baby. She doesn't think she gets enough attention as it is and is always jealous of the other two cats. Come September, she will probably spend all her time hiding under the couch, sulking, and won't go near the baby. Elektra (staring, on the lower right) is the curious one and will probably spend a lot of time observing this new creature, even if only from a safe distance. At least until the baby begins to cry; then she'll get scared and run away. And Hermes III (looking away, at the top) will probably try to sleep in the crib with the baby. He likes to be as close to the center of attention as possible, and he'll therefore hang out as close to the baby as he can.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015. We more or less accurately predicted how the cats would react to Kirby, although Athena wasn't quite as skittish around the baby as we expected. And yes, Hermes III did try to sleep in the crib with the baby!)
Justice in sports
Over the past month a couple of sporting events proved to me that, indeed, there is at least some justice in this world.
First, it was the Detroit Pistons knocking off the heavily-favored (and heavily-hyped) Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals. The Lakers, featuring a lineup of superstar players such as Shaq and Kobe and a superstar coach in Phil Jackson, were expected to walk all over Detroit. What the Pistons lacked in flashy superstars, however, they more than made up for it by playing solid, fundamental basketball as a team. The Lakers, on the other hand, played like a group of bored, spoiled prima donnas. The result was a thorough ass-kicking; in fact, it would have been a sweep had Kobe Bryant not drained a miracle three-point shot late in game 2. The 2004 NBA Finals truly were a victory of substance over style, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Second, it was Cal State - Fullerton defeating the Texas Longhorns to claim the NCAA baseball championship. This is the second year in a row that a small school from a so-called "mid-major" conference has made it to the College World Series and vanquished a big-time school to claim the title. Cal State - Fullerton is a Big West member that doesn't even field a football team, but that didn't keep them from knocking off one of the biggest and wealthiest programs in the nation. It just goes to show what can happen in college athletics when there is a level playing field between the big schools and the little schools (which, by the way, occurs in every sport except football).
Also, the refusal of the Longhorn players and their coach, Augie Garrido, to come out of their locker room to accept the second place trophy after the game was over was disappointing. It reinforces a commonly-held perception about UT athletics and its lack of class.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015. This is the oldest entry.)
First, it was the Detroit Pistons knocking off the heavily-favored (and heavily-hyped) Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals. The Lakers, featuring a lineup of superstar players such as Shaq and Kobe and a superstar coach in Phil Jackson, were expected to walk all over Detroit. What the Pistons lacked in flashy superstars, however, they more than made up for it by playing solid, fundamental basketball as a team. The Lakers, on the other hand, played like a group of bored, spoiled prima donnas. The result was a thorough ass-kicking; in fact, it would have been a sweep had Kobe Bryant not drained a miracle three-point shot late in game 2. The 2004 NBA Finals truly were a victory of substance over style, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Second, it was Cal State - Fullerton defeating the Texas Longhorns to claim the NCAA baseball championship. This is the second year in a row that a small school from a so-called "mid-major" conference has made it to the College World Series and vanquished a big-time school to claim the title. Cal State - Fullerton is a Big West member that doesn't even field a football team, but that didn't keep them from knocking off one of the biggest and wealthiest programs in the nation. It just goes to show what can happen in college athletics when there is a level playing field between the big schools and the little schools (which, by the way, occurs in every sport except football).
Also, the refusal of the Longhorn players and their coach, Augie Garrido, to come out of their locker room to accept the second place trophy after the game was over was disappointing. It reinforces a commonly-held perception about UT athletics and its lack of class.
(Retroblogged on August 23, 2015. This is the oldest entry.)
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