Sunday, March 7, 2010
Jazz roll all over Clippers. Memo dunks the light out
DUDE - Check Memo's 3-pt miss, offensive rebound, and the hammer dunk. That... now THAT is awesome!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Thoughts on a few subjects
1. NCAA bubblewatch
The first thing about bracketology that everyone needs to understand is that the big national media knows very little about the western leagues. Ninety percent of the news media that follows the bubblewatch pays very little attention to the WAC, Horizon League, Conference-USA, Missouri Valley Conferences and the other mid-major conferences, unless the teams from those conferences do something extraordinary, just as the Aggies have been doing for the last few years. What has been most surprising to me in the bubblewatch this year is the disappearance of the Pac-10 from College Basketball relevance. When the regular season conference champion, Cal, has no wins against top-50 RPI opponents in four tries and has accumulated nine losses, well, that's how it goes. No one is lending respect to the Pac-10, and given the arrogance of "The Conference of Champions," I'm more than happy to see them humbled. In a final note, if USU wins every game to the WAC conference tournament championship, loses and still doesn't get in the NCAA tournament, I will be astounded. The selection committee loves late-season winning streaks, and that's exactly what the Aggies have built.
2. The Utah Jazz
The Jazz are back to their schizophrenic ways. In the last week, Utah has lost to the Kings and Clippers – both on the road. Yet, when the Jazz play a quality Phoenix Suns club that's only a game and a half behind them, they get the comeback win. I really am leery about committing 100 percent behind the Jazz this year because they continue to have the same problems. They win against quality clubs and lose against crap teams on the road. Now, I like it when they win against quality clubs, and they should. The Jazz should never, ever lose to the Clippers or the Kings, even if Tyreke Evans is having a Rookie-of-the-Year season. Who knows? Maybe last night's victory against the Suns is the start of another seven-game road winning streak. Maybe if Deron Williams shaves his beard and starts anew, the magic will be renewed, and the Jazz will be able to make up the two games they need to overtake Denver and Dallas. The Jazz have such potential and watching them trip at the finish line again this year will suck, so they had better not.
3. Utah State and their back-to-back outright titles
Words cannot describe the value of the Aggie student section in the Spectrum. I truly believe that teams come to Logan expecting to lose. A source close to the Fresno team told me earlier this week that the team had given up in the shoot-around before the game even started. Who can blame these teams, though? Utah State has only lost 13 times in the last 12 years in this building, and each year the quality of the student section gets better and better. Now that we're all aware of how awesome Aggie students are, make sure you get to the arena quick this weekend. Now, because NMSU lost last night to Nevada in Reno, we've got the regular season championship in the books. Still, a reliable source has told me that Aggie fans will be camping out Friday in anticipation of Saturday's cutting of the nets. This game will certainly be epic. If this game will be your first experience at a USU basketball game, get there early and be ready to rush the court after NMSU bites the dust. We're cutting down the nets this weekend, baby. Aggies on top once again! Man, I love being an Aggie.
4. MLB Baseball - Who to watch for
I was very pleased at the onset of this year's spring training season to see Johnny Damon out of one of those awful, awful Yankee uniforms. I really like his addition to the Tigers. His joining the Tigers gives Detroit a great bat in their lineup to complement Ordonez. I would keep an eye out for that team moving through free agency and into opening day. Of course, the Yankees are as dangerous as ever, but I think the real team to look out for in this season will be the Twins. Joe Mauer, the face of the franchise and AL MVP, is coming off a terrific season, and I really think that his efforts, leadership and teamwork will take the team far this year, but only if the Twins resign him. If not, then I would of course keep an eye out for all the teams from the AL East, the Tigers, the Angels and the Cubs. As far as who I would like to see do well this year, I would really love to see the Orioles, Cubs and my Red Sox do well. I'm dying for the Cubs to win the World Series just so their century-long drought will end, and I will always stand by my Sox. Why the Orioles? My parents' neighbor is Jeremy Guthrie, the starting pitcher for the Orioles. He's such a cool guy, and I want his club to do well.
5. Play of the Week
With just under 10 seconds to go on Thursday, the Heat were up two against the Los Angeles Lakers. We all remember what happened the last time Miami had a two-point lead against the Lakers – Kobe banked in the contested 3-pointer and got LA the home win. So, what happened last night? Similar story, different ending. "The Black Mamba," as he has come to be known around the media, drove and floated the tying bucket and sent the game into overtime, but Miami was resilient at home to pull it out in OT. This week's play of the game was Dwyane Wade's defensive play that got Kobe Bryant a charging foul in the final minute of overtime with the Heat trailing by two. That foul basically sealed a win and sweet revenge for a struggling Miami club. It was awesome to see the Lakers bite it in South Beach. Word to the Heat!
The first thing about bracketology that everyone needs to understand is that the big national media knows very little about the western leagues. Ninety percent of the news media that follows the bubblewatch pays very little attention to the WAC, Horizon League, Conference-USA, Missouri Valley Conferences and the other mid-major conferences, unless the teams from those conferences do something extraordinary, just as the Aggies have been doing for the last few years. What has been most surprising to me in the bubblewatch this year is the disappearance of the Pac-10 from College Basketball relevance. When the regular season conference champion, Cal, has no wins against top-50 RPI opponents in four tries and has accumulated nine losses, well, that's how it goes. No one is lending respect to the Pac-10, and given the arrogance of "The Conference of Champions," I'm more than happy to see them humbled. In a final note, if USU wins every game to the WAC conference tournament championship, loses and still doesn't get in the NCAA tournament, I will be astounded. The selection committee loves late-season winning streaks, and that's exactly what the Aggies have built.2. The Utah Jazz
The Jazz are back to their schizophrenic ways. In the last week, Utah has lost to the Kings and Clippers – both on the road. Yet, when the Jazz play a quality Phoenix Suns club that's only a game and a half behind them, they get the comeback win. I really am leery about committing 100 percent behind the Jazz this year because they continue to have the same problems. They win against quality clubs and lose against crap teams on the road. Now, I like it when they win against quality clubs, and they should. The Jazz should never, ever lose to the Clippers or the Kings, even if Tyreke Evans is having a Rookie-of-the-Year season. Who knows? Maybe last night's victory against the Suns is the start of another seven-game road winning streak. Maybe if Deron Williams shaves his beard and starts anew, the magic will be renewed, and the Jazz will be able to make up the two games they need to overtake Denver and Dallas. The Jazz have such potential and watching them trip at the finish line again this year will suck, so they had better not.3. Utah State and their back-to-back outright titles
Words cannot describe the value of the Aggie student section in the Spectrum. I truly believe that teams come to Logan expecting to lose. A source close to the Fresno team told me earlier this week that the team had given up in the shoot-around before the game even started. Who can blame these teams, though? Utah State has only lost 13 times in the last 12 years in this building, and each year the quality of the student section gets better and better. Now that we're all aware of how awesome Aggie students are, make sure you get to the arena quick this weekend. Now, because NMSU lost last night to Nevada in Reno, we've got the regular season championship in the books. Still, a reliable source has told me that Aggie fans will be camping out Friday in anticipation of Saturday's cutting of the nets. This game will certainly be epic. If this game will be your first experience at a USU basketball game, get there early and be ready to rush the court after NMSU bites the dust. We're cutting down the nets this weekend, baby. Aggies on top once again! Man, I love being an Aggie.4. MLB Baseball - Who to watch for
I was very pleased at the onset of this year's spring training season to see Johnny Damon out of one of those awful, awful Yankee uniforms. I really like his addition to the Tigers. His joining the Tigers gives Detroit a great bat in their lineup to complement Ordonez. I would keep an eye out for that team moving through free agency and into opening day. Of course, the Yankees are as dangerous as ever, but I think the real team to look out for in this season will be the Twins. Joe Mauer, the face of the franchise and AL MVP, is coming off a terrific season, and I really think that his efforts, leadership and teamwork will take the team far this year, but only if the Twins resign him. If not, then I would of course keep an eye out for all the teams from the AL East, the Tigers, the Angels and the Cubs. As far as who I would like to see do well this year, I would really love to see the Orioles, Cubs and my Red Sox do well. I'm dying for the Cubs to win the World Series just so their century-long drought will end, and I will always stand by my Sox. Why the Orioles? My parents' neighbor is Jeremy Guthrie, the starting pitcher for the Orioles. He's such a cool guy, and I want his club to do well.5. Play of the Week
With just under 10 seconds to go on Thursday, the Heat were up two against the Los Angeles Lakers. We all remember what happened the last time Miami had a two-point lead against the Lakers – Kobe banked in the contested 3-pointer and got LA the home win. So, what happened last night? Similar story, different ending. "The Black Mamba," as he has come to be known around the media, drove and floated the tying bucket and sent the game into overtime, but Miami was resilient at home to pull it out in OT. This week's play of the game was Dwyane Wade's defensive play that got Kobe Bryant a charging foul in the final minute of overtime with the Heat trailing by two. That foul basically sealed a win and sweet revenge for a struggling Miami club. It was awesome to see the Lakers bite it in South Beach. Word to the Heat!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Aggie Bull Horn #115 - The Aggie Bull Horn Weekly podcast - Mar 5, 2010
Here are our picks for the next week. Hold our feet to the fire next week - >
USU v NMSU - Landon (+10), Jared (+12), Tyler (+8)
USU v BSU (WAC Tourney) - Landon (+9), Jared (+8), Tyler (+20)
Jazz v Clippers - Landon (+7), Jared (+15), Tyler (+12)
Jazz @ Bulls - Landon (+2), Jared(+5), Tyler (+3)
Jazz @ Pistons - Landon (+11), Jared (+9), Tyler (+10)
USU Women v Hawaii - Landon (+3), Jared (+4), Tyler (+8)
Bill's Costume -
Landon: A cop, to reference the NMSU players' legal issues
Jared: Jasmine, from Disney's Aladdin
Tyler: Pistol Pete, the Mascot for the NMSU Aggies
Girls Gone Wild.... Well, Violent at Least
This video, when positioned side-by-side against the BYU-NM soccer debacle, brings to light a frightening trend in women's sports - girls are mean!
Enjoy
Boylen Blows up at Monson
Before reading on, Check This.
If nothing else, Jim Boylen's comments to Deseret News writer and 1280 the Zone sports radio talk show host Gordon Monson were certainly earned by Monson. The questions Monson asked were absolutely stupid, and obviously Boylen was not going to be very pleased after getting destroyed in the Huntsman Center against BYU.
However, Boylen's comments only provide evidence for the fact that he is a world-class idiot at the helm of a state university basketball program. Someone of Boylen's stature in the community and track record should be able to reign in his emotions and his words regardless of the outcome of any game, no matter who he plays. We at the Aggie Bull Horn hold no love for Boylen and anticipate with eagerness the carnage that the Utes will undergo when they visit Logan this fall.
If nothing else, Jim Boylen's comments to Deseret News writer and 1280 the Zone sports radio talk show host Gordon Monson were certainly earned by Monson. The questions Monson asked were absolutely stupid, and obviously Boylen was not going to be very pleased after getting destroyed in the Huntsman Center against BYU.
However, Boylen's comments only provide evidence for the fact that he is a world-class idiot at the helm of a state university basketball program. Someone of Boylen's stature in the community and track record should be able to reign in his emotions and his words regardless of the outcome of any game, no matter who he plays. We at the Aggie Bull Horn hold no love for Boylen and anticipate with eagerness the carnage that the Utes will undergo when they visit Logan this fall.
The Jazz lose to the Clippers... then beat the Suns
The Jazz won in Phoenix last night capping off the comeback win with a Mehmet Okur 3. If Memo can get his game back together from deep, the Jazz could be pretty dangerous. But dang, this Jazz team makes me angry. They're so unpredictable, and it drives me crazy watching them stink for 3.5 quarters only to have them come back and win when I turn off the TV. It pisses me off.
On the positive, the Jazz are still in good playoff position, but like always, the Western Conference seeding will come down to the final two months. Utah needs to win the crap games by a lot and compete against the quality teams. Watch out for this week's trap games at Detroit and against the Clippers at home.
Make me a believer, Jazz!
On the positive, the Jazz are still in good playoff position, but like always, the Western Conference seeding will come down to the final two months. Utah needs to win the crap games by a lot and compete against the quality teams. Watch out for this week's trap games at Detroit and against the Clippers at home.
Make me a believer, Jazz!
Monday, March 1, 2010
USU Hockey bites it in the first round
(Editor's Note: All of the quotes in this article can be taken from the interview posted. The interview is about 10 minutes long, but if you care about USU hockey, it's well worth the listen.)
Utah State suffered an 8-4 loss to San Diego State University in the first round of the ACHA western regional tournament Friday afternoon.This loss constitutes the second time in two years that USU has been favored headed into the first round of regionals and has come up short. Last year the Aggies fell on home ice to the Denver Pioneers, 5-4. The difference between this year and last year is found in the team's overall record (27-6), the fact that USU was undefeated at home, regardless of the opponent, and the seeding that USU earned heading into the tournament in Greeley, Colo.
USU was seeded second and was facing an Aztec team with a much less remarkable record (17-14), but that had also been riding a recent wave of momentum. SDSU had won six of its previous eight. Its only losses came to San Jose State and to the Aztec Alumni team. SDSU was able to use its recent momentum to push itself just out of reach.
USU got off to a good start in this game. By the end of the first period, the Ags were up 2-1. Simple shortcomings hurt the Aggies, however. In a text message sent by the team, head coach Jon Eccles said David Wyman missed a penalty shot and dangerous scorers Brendan MacDonald and Tyler Mistelbacher missed on some great chances. Eccles said the team successfully maintained a positive attitude moving through the second into the third, but nothing seemed to be working for USU. SDSU scored five in the second to USU's two, and the Aztecs were able to capitalize twice more in the third. With that, the margin was spread to four goals, and USU fell too far behind to recover.
"I don't know if we didn't prepare," Eccles said, "or I don't know if we as a team overlooked them expecting to walk through them. You're bound to have a player have an off game but not every part of the team. How many times have you seen Brendan MacDonald and Mistelbacher come down on a two-on-none and not score? We only had one power-play goal on five chances. They were the underdogs. They had nothing to lose. They just let it all hang out, and we couldn't respond."
As far as gauging the success of this year's Aggie hockey season, Eccles said the team is obviously disappointed, but next year will be that much better.
"Yeah, it would have been nicer to have gone on to nationals," he said, "but the boys, I think, worked hard. We fought through up and down situations, came back and still finished strong. One game doesn't define your season."
Eccles said he is grateful to the fans for the support the community has offered.
"This is one of the greatest fan bases and arenas to play in," he said. "Everyone talks about coming to play in Logan because they love the fans. The support is just awesome. We're averaging between 1,200 to 1,500 fans a game. To be the third highest attended sport on campus when these guys are not on scholarship is a testament to their desire to play."
Eccles also said the team can substantially improve in some areas.
"On the flip side, there still has to be a level of discipline," he said, "and we will be better next year. In order to be a caliber tournament team, you have to be that disciplined. That's something we've kind of lacked. We have to play as if we are a varsity sport, and we have to treat the players that way. If they're not going to do the things we're asking, then sorry. We'll get players that want to."
USU's final home game and senior night of the season will be Friday, March 5, when the University of Utah Skatin' Utes come to play on Aggie ice. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
