10 Feet High

I woke up the other day and found I had more YouTube in me, which probably isn't a good thing for you, my poor readers, so I'm terribly sorry for that. Now, I'm normally not a YouTube junkie, but some of my best childhood memories can be relived via random people's YouTube posts. It got me thinking, maybe I should become a member and make my own posts? Probably taking it way too far there. Anyways, I'm hoping you all can relate to at least a couple of these vids.



My Memory:

I literally spent 45 minutes practicing this shot with a teammate and still couldn’t emulate Hoffarber. Seriously, try it yourself, not just sitting there attempting shots, but having a ball passed to you laying down. The tricky part – the thing that is just so tough – is getting the ball off quickly, like beat-the-buzzer quick. Under the circumstances – high school state title game at the Target Center – this is one of the better shots I’ve ever seen.



My Memory:

I know, I know, why tennis? But I was there in London during this epic match, and even though I’ve witnessed some pretty special moments in sports, this one is right at the top.

When the tournament started, Andy Roddick was just another obnoxious American to the British. In truth, his career hadn’t gone the way we envisioned it would when he won the U.S. Open in 2003 and became the youngest American ever to be ranked world No. 1. But this was Wimbledon, an event so prestigious and precious that even the most casual tennis fan can appreciate its grandeur.

In the semifinal against Great Britain’s own Andy Murray, Roddick wheeled and dealed his way to a rather stunning upset. I attended this match, and even sitting in the grandstands far off center court, I could hear the bowels of the home crowd rooting for its favorite son.

When Roddick won, it appeared impossible that any Brit could ever root for this guy.

Sitting in a local bar watching the final featuring Roddick and the seemingly unbeatable Roger Federer, I was shocked to see the tide turn as the match progressed. At first, the crowded bar rooted hard for Federer, simply dismissing the challenger as an unworthy opponent who defeated their own. But in the final three sets and remarkably through the gut wrenching tiebreakers, the British faithful shifted dramatically toward Roddick, cheering loudly for every ace and gasping with every missed opportunity. In the end, Federer took home the hardware, but Roddick - with his hard play and grit - earned something just as meaningful: Respect. This is why we love sports.



My Memory:

I’ll be the first to tell you the importance of a good night’s sleep – seriously you just can’t put a price on it. If I’d slept just another hour per night in college, I’m convinced I’d have graduated magna cum laude. (OK, fine. Cum laude. OK, maybe that’s a stretch, but you get the point, sort of. I'm confused, sorry.) Up until the 2002 World Cup, soccer to me may as well have been professional bowling. I didn’t understand it, and I didn’t want to understand it.

But after the Americans advanced past the initial group stages, I couldn’t help but notice. What I did next, though, was completely unprecedented for me, even when it came to watching basketball. Given the time difference from Korea, the second-round U.S.-Mexico match started at 4 in the morning. Keep in mind, this was during the time when I still had sleepovers with friends. (Yes, I just went there.)

In an act of humility and tremendous courage, my roommate for the night and I decided to wake up at 4, during the weekend mind you, and watch this game. I still can’t believe it. What we witnessed was an American squad full of flair and an overwhelming desire to win. This brilliant upset forever instilled in my mind, my love of soccer began.



My Memory:

I’ll never forget this one. We had a tourney bracket at school, and every chance we got to sneak away from class and watch games we would. Since I had already exhausted my stay-at-home days, my parents wouldn’t let me skip school again. But at 16, I was a crafty veteran, more than capable of weaseling my way into a room with a television.

Realistically, I had at least four or five years of experience working and honing my craft (I started really caring about the Dance in 1998 when my beloved Huskies made a Sweet 16 run). Anyways, this was the 12-5 upset I picked (one happens almost every year), so when this bench player named Taylor rattled off 30-plus points and the game-winning dagger, I – along with the rest of the Creighton faithful – went nuts, thus forcing the vice principal to enter the room thinking a fight had broken out. How I miss high school. Also, how great is it to see Billy Donovan panicking like that? Is there a more annoying coach in the college game today? Okay, you’re right. Sorry, Coach K, John Calipari (any chance I get with him I take) and Bruce Pearl.

(Sorry, I couldn't embed this, but trust me, it's worth watching: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd0S0LwhEDU)

My Memory:

Now I know you’re asking why. After all, Mike Jones? What? Well, to me this guy shall never be forgotten, even if he hasn’t made a hit single in five years.

Summer Jam happens to be one of the premier summer events for Seattleites. Held at the Columbia River Gorge – arguably the most stunning concert backdrop in America – it is the gathering of half a dozen or so of the best new and old acts around. In the summer of 2005, Mike Jones was one of those acts. So, a bunch of us, including myself made the trek to Eastern Washington (I don’t know why I went - I don’t like concerts, and I don’t like being around 30,000 drunk people after a three-hour drive.) Beside the point though.

We finagle our way into getting backstage passes (a guy I know from way back guest-raps with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, who were also playing). An hour before Jones is set to go on stage, we go and meet him. He signs autographs (I immediately gave mine away), says a few words, and we move on to the next room. I will keep kosher and not elaborate too much, but let's just say the "rockstar" lifestyle is very, very real. We had an idea of what to expect, and this expectations were fulfilled.

The memorable part is that the guy proceeds to give one of the worst, most unwatchable performances in music history. The only irrefutable words I heard during his 30 minutes of rapping were, “Who, Mike Jones, Who, Mike Jones, Who?” Still, a valuable impression was made, and I’ll never forget the impact this man had on me. For the rest of the summer, I went around Seattle inexplicably saying “Who, Mike Jones” to poor by standards who probably thought I had a bad case of Turrets.

Side Note: “Back then they didn’t want me, now I’m hot, they all on me.” We used to say this was the life story of a friend of ours who made the NBA and all of a sudden, every girl wanted him. I don't know why these ridiculous lines always catch on, but they do, and oddly enough, they work.



What a movie! Okay, so this came out back in the day, but as an obsessive Husky fan, I quickly adopted "The Sixth Man" as my go-to film from the ages of 12 to dare I say 17? I hesitate to say such an asinine statement, but I imagine I’ve seen this movie upwards of 20 times. It contains everything a quality movie should: Marlon Wayans (a must), the annoying "we going Sizzler's" dude from "White Men Can't Jump," Seattle, UW, and of course, a ghost. Also, current Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford is the starting point guard on this team. Don’t even ask me how I know this. See this movie and you’ll fall in love. Absolutely robbed of an Oscar. Fine, Golden Globe? Fine, Independent Film Critics Sports Movie Featuring The Pacific Northwest Something Award? You won't be disappointed. “Big man for three!”



My Memory:

The classic case of a kid using the NCAA Tournament as a platform to up his draft stock. Ed O’Bannon made himself millions by dominating the Razorbacks “40 minutes of hell” with his ferocious style of play. Great college player, not so great NBA player. I was only 9 at the time, but Dad and I attended the Final Four at the Kingdome (R.I.P.) in Seattle.

(Me beloved Kingdome was the source of many of my best childhood moments, the 1995 Final Four included)

This became my first “wow, basketball is really cool moment.” It inspired me to wake up early before school every morning and work on “my game” – I mean at that point “my game” consisted of very little, but hey, I had to start somewhere right.

Side Note: Speaking of my younger playing days, an old friend and teammate of mine called me this week saying he came across a tape of us playing in the 5th Grade City Title game in Seattle. Apparently, I didn’t get the start, and my best play was a rebound putback that went off the side of the backboard and out of bounds. Like I said, I had very little game.

By the way, how did Jimmy ("I will cheat at all costs") Harrick win a title? Oh yeah, he cheated. Plus, don't forget that staff of Lorenzo Romar, Stevie Lavin and company. Good assistants make all the difference. Quick, conspiracy theory: head coaches in college are some of the biggest frauds around. Okay, maybe not all, but definitely some. Aside from recruiting, what do they really do? From my experience, very little. They're like managers who oversee, but don't actually do anything. Most of the plays are from the assistants, as are the scouting reports. Sure, HC's can bark out orders and look the part come game time (i.e. John Calipari), but what do they really do? How much of a team's success or lack thereof can truly be attributed to a head coach? The staff around him is just as if not more important.

College hoops is so special it deserves its own installment ...

Best Upset

2001 NCAA Tournament, No. 15 Hampton Beats No. 2 Iowa State

Hampton had a bunch of gritty kids not afraid of the big stage. The Cyclones were led by All-American and first round-draft pick Jamaal Tinsley. Talk about a bracket-buster! I don’t care how much this game, a 58-57 win for Hampton, screwed your bracket up. Seeing Hampton coach Steve Merfeld go nuts made it all worth it.



Vindicating Personal Moment

2007 NCAA Tournament First Round, San Diego Upsets UConn

This is completely random and irrelevant, which is why I included it. I scored 12 points against USD earlier that year, almost leading us to an upset over the Toreros, all leading to my ridiculous and insane theory that I helped knock off the UConn Huskies ... the team that partially ruined my childhood (I am worse off psychologically than the dude in this commercial) when they beat my favorite team, the Washington Huskies, on a BS Rip Hamilton buzzer-beater in 1998 (see below). Sadly enough - and I'm not ashamed to admit this, which may in fact be more disturbing than the following statement - I cried for the next three hours leading my poor mother to suggest a therapy session for treatment. Unfortunately, I did not oblige and thus never fully developed mentally. Thanks a lot, Rip.



Best Multiple-Upset Sequence

2006 NCAA Tournament, George Mason

The 11th-seeded George Mason Patriots from the Colonial conference stole our hearts – and our brackets – during their unforgettable Final Four run in '06. They knocked off perennial powers Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut, and showed how the little guy can play with the big boys. This represents one of the best examples of college basketball parity and gives even more life to the Big Dance ... as if it needs it.

Best NCAA Tournament Performance

Steph Curry, baby!!!

The long-range poacher and virtually un-recruited guard from Davidson captured America’s hearts in 2008 when he bombed Gonzaga for 30 in the second half on 8-10 threes, torched Georgetown for another 30, killed Wisconsin with 33 points, and almost led an enthralling comeback over eventual national champ Kansas in the Elite Eight. This just further justifies my theory that Mike Krzyzewski is one of the worst talent evaluators in America, in that he didn’t even consider the North Carolina product as a potential recruit.

I should include this just happened to be our very first Vegas trip. The five of us running around, in the desert, looking for hookers and cocaine (first of many "Hangover" references from me, which is long overdue, considering it's sadly replacing "Happy Gilmore," which debuted in 1996). Back to the story, though. One of our boys went to Davidson, and his overwhelming confidence in his boy Curry led to an improbable trio of winnings for all of us. I will never forget this. Steph “Dreamy Eyes” Curry (really, look into his eyes and get lost) is responsible for the most memorable March Madness memory, although I barely remember any of it.

Side Note: The friend who went to Davidson told me a great story about Curry. Apparently, after the Sweet 16, when the team came back to campus for practice, he saw Curry in the library by himself at 3 in the morning. He knew Steph a little bit, so he went over to say hi. What he saw on the computer screen has become legendary in our small and pathetic circle of friends. Curry was actually watching highlights of himself on YouTube! The best part though? He asked my friend if he seemed at all arrogant in his post-game interviews. How much do you love that?

(This was on Curry’s computer screen)




Honorable Mention: Eric Maynor’s game-winner against Duke. Any time the Dookies go down in the first round to VCU, I cannot let it go unnoticed. Sorry, Coach K, but really, your team is made up of a bunch of McDonald's All-Americans, and VCU's team eats at McDonald's.



Best Game

2009 Big East Tournament, Syracuse vs. UConn

You know it’s a no-brainer when all you have to say is “The 6 OT game.” The all-night affair between Syracuse and UConn may be one of the greatest games in all of college basketball history. I was up late in LA, so out east it must have been nuts.

Seriously, during this game, I accomplished more than I did my entire four years of college: went to class, worked out, showered, wrote a paper, caught up with three friends, ate dinner and cleaned my apartment.

By the time this thing ended, the Cuse literally had about an hour and a half before heading back to the Garden. I’m just glad Public Enemy No. 1 Eric Devendorf wasn’t the hero.

Best Comeback (countdown style)

3. 2006 NCAA Regional Semifinal, Gonzaga vs. UCLA

Adam Morrison crying is enough to tune in, but a 17-point comeback in the Sweet 16 will do the trick to make this list.

Side Note: A friend of mine has a younger brother who went to Gonzaga basketball camp one summer. I guess a lot of the Zags players work the camp, both referring and coaching the kids. Anyways, he claimed Morrison appeared to be drunk or hungover every morning of the camp, refusing to run up and down the floor and properly ref the game. When his coach complained about Morrison’s deficiencies and laziness, Morrison teed him up, swore at him, and kicked him out of the game, only to single-handedly cost their team the game!



So yes, I will revel in the fact that he cried on national TV and hasn’t played significant minutes for an NBA team in like, forever. He did, however, get a ring, thanks in part to one of the culprits of UCLA's comeback, Jordan Farmar.

2. 2008 NCAA Championship, Kansas vs. Memphis

All season long, John Calipari inexplicably repeated that the FT problems of his Memphis Tigers didn’t matter. How he could ever think this is very concerning to me. Honestly it is just mind-bottling (thanks, Will Ferrell). Anyways, fast-forward to about 28 missed FTs and the clutch play of the Jayahwks – Mario Chalmers in particular – and Rock Chalk overcomes a nine-point deficit with 2:12 left to beat “The Village Idiot's” Tigers in OT. Wouldn’t have mattered anyways with the whole Derrick Rose cheating scandal, but proved to be one of the great clutch comebacks of the decade.

1. 2005 NCAA Regional Final, Illinois vs. Arizona

In other words, this was the day I fell in love with Deron Williams and fully realized the demise of Lute Olson. With four minutes left, Olson’s crew was up 75-60, seeming destined to reach their fifth Final Four. But the Illini rallied and rallied and rallied, scoring 20 points (8 from Williams) in just four minutes, going on to win in OT. To this day, I remain flabbergasted with this game. One of the rare in-game moments you know you won’t forget. Watch this clip and you’ll see why…



Best NCAA Championship

2003, Syracuse vs. Kansas

Carmelo Anthony caps off the greatest freshman season ever in leading the Orange to a 81-78 win over the Jayhawks with Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. More importantly, Roy Williams shows some serious vulnerability during his post-game conversation with Bonnie Bernstein. Unless you're a Heels fan, you'll love this.



Best Game, (Non-Hoops)

2007 Fiesta Bowl, Boise State vs. Oklahoma

The demise of “Big Game” Bob Stoops to “Big Game Fraud” was in full effect. Highlights of this game feature a “Statue of Liberty” play (never understood the name), dreadfully scary looks on the faces of Sooner fans, and Ian Johnson’s proposal to the Boise cheerleader. All of this shall forever live on.



Who needs reality television when we have this type of quality programming?! This is the best reality TV around.

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Yes, I'm an oracle!!! I'm a prophet! Okay, okay maybe not, but in case you didn't see this, Coach Knight also objects with the John Calipari hiring at Kentucky.

Here was my take on Calipari from earlier in this week.

I'd also like to give major props to Jonathan Bender and his recent signing with the Knicks after nearly four years out of the league because of knee problems. I was thinking about mentioning this the other day but neglected to. Anyways, for those who don't remember, Bender was an ultra-talented, super-long 7-footer coming out of high school when he was the No. 5 pick in the 1999 NBA draft.

Current Knicks GM Donnie Walsh traded for him a decade ago, when Walsh was with the Pacers, and is now giving him another shot in New York. Despite his various knee problems, Bender was always a fun player to watch - a guy who could run the floor, shoot the three and block shots. In his first stint of action against the Clippers on Friday night, he totaled 9 points in just 14 minutes of action. The scary part is he's still only 28! A lot of juice is still left in those legs. I hope his comeback is a successful one. That's not an easy thing to do.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that a massive recruiting scandal awaits Kentucky with freshman sensation John Wall.

John Calipari is notorious for bending NCAA rules, especially when it comes to recruiting wars. We all know what happened with Derrick Rose. In a nutshell, Rose had someone take his SAT for him. And let’s not forget the bonanza of Marcus Camby at UMass.

Just think about that for a quick second. Not the bonanza, but the fact that Calipari got Camby - a monumental recruit and future No. 2 overall draft pick - to come to UMass, a cellar-dweller Atlantic 10 school. That alone should have been a red flag.

This was a program at the bottom of the barrel – a program that hadn’t had a winning season in a decade, a team that Jackie Moon would have made.

During Calipari’s tenure, though, they were ranked No. 1 for two seasons, went to two Elite Eights and advanced to the Final Four.

It later came out that Camby took nearly $30,000 from a sports agent along with other benefits, and UMass had to forfeit its 1996 Final Four appearance. Calipari's Memphis team has since forfeited its Final Four appearance as well.

In 1994, the Boston Globe quoted an AAU official in Connecticut as saying, “Another coach says to a kid, ‘If you qualify, we want you.’ Calipari says, ‘If you qualify, we want you. If you don’t, we still want you.’”



(Above: Vintage Coach Cal)

If that isn’t disturbing, then I’m not sure what is.

Let’s go over the facts, shall we? Wall is from Raleigh, North Carolina. Why in the world would he choose Kentucky? The obvious answer for some is because it’s Kentucky! The Wildcats, of course, became synonymous with championships and banner-hanging during the Adolph Rupp days.

But if Wall wanted a name-brand program, why not go to local Duke or North Carolina?

Common sense tells me the three logical places he should have attended were California, Florida or even Arizona – fun, warm and in-the-spotlight states featuring traditional college basketball powerhouses in UCLA, the Gators and the Wildcats, otherwise known as “Point Guard U,” the former home of Jason Terry, Mike Bibby and Gilbert Arenas.

Maybe this article is just a product of my hatred – or at least pessimism - of John Calipari. Seeing him jump up and down barking belligerent orders at his young team during the UConn game was both painful and annoying.

But I just have this gut feeling that he weaseled and snaked his way into landing John Wall in Lexington, the same way he did with Rose.

Calipari has long been known as an unparalleled recruiter. I can just see him sweet-talking innocent parents and kids with his slick-backed hair and natural, boyish charm. And his teams have always been talented and boisterous.

What changed the game for him was the dribble-drive offense, also known as “Princeton on steroids,” as Calipari often calls it, but instead of the backdoor cuts and passes, it relies on penetration and athletes. It is a dynamic attack predicated on driving the ball, making basketball reads and as Calipari says, “being a player.”

He cultivated a dormant Memphis program back onto the national radar by landing one top recruit after another. His ability to ink prized high schoolers is borderline insane. Take a moment and think about some of the guys he’s signed: Marcus Camby, Darius Washington, Jr., Shawne Williams, Dajuan Wagner, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Joey Dorsey, Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, and now DeMarcus Cousins and Wall.

That list is like a century for some schools. It’s not like UMass or Memphis were powerhouses when he got there. He created the Minutemen and completely resurrected Memphis, but at what cost? And how much bending can he continually get away with?

Kentucky is as proud a program as there is with seven national titles and more victories than any other school. Oh, and let’s not forget, our dear super-fan Ashley Judd.

Despite its obvious lure, it has to be one of the toughest jobs in the nation, almost like the Notre Dame of college basketball. During his decade-long tenure as the leader of UK, Tubby Smith won a national championship, maintained a .760 winning percentage and went to four Elite Eights. But he was rumored for years to be on the hot seat in Lexington, before finally leaving two years ago to coach Minnesota.

Seemingly, this job falls under the category of “win at all costs,” so maybe a little (or a lot) of rule breaking isn’t seen as the cardinal sin that it’s viewed as at other programs. Calipari better hope so, because everywhere he’s coached he has been mired in scandals and violations.

There are endless reports of boosters paying players under Head Coach Joe B. Hall, who coached the Wildcats from 1972 to 1985, but that’s nothing compared to what came next.

The infamous Eddie Sutton recruiting scandal of the late 80s stained Kentucky for years. During the heavy recruitment of high school star Chris Mills, UK assistant coach Dwane Casey sent $1,000 to Mills’ dad. Okay, not anything out of the norm right? The problem was that the envelope burst open during transit, causing the money to fly out and the delivery service to report it.

Casey and Sutton were both forced to resign, and the Wildcats were then sentenced to five years of NCAA probation, a major blow to any program, but especially to one as prestigious as Kentucky.

Look, I don’t want to discredit Wall, because he seems like a solid and well-grounded kid. But history is always relevant, and both Calipari and Kentucky basketball have had their share of scandals.

The irony of this whole situation is that Calipari was rumored to have wanted the UK job after Smith left, but was apparently "too dirty" for Kentucky's taste.

Desperate times call for desperate measures right?

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