Thursday Feb. 9, 2012
Wednesday was one of the best days in years to watch college basketball on television. The line-up was so good it made me stay home as opposed to accept a few comp tickets to both the Nets game and a local Big East Game. Also could have gotten the $5.00 a head FDU was paying people to watch them play. Plus they were providing free hoagies and sodas after the game. I am so glad I stayed home to be able to change channels during the commercial in order to catch every game.
My evening started with the preparation of a great meal and some other snacks as I sat in front of the TV in anticipation. Great games and action as I ate my salmon and drank some nice diet ice tea. I started off with the Georgetown vs Syracuse game. The place was filled and rocking as those two BE powers went toe to toe. Talk about atmosphere? How does a kid turn down Syracuse when they can get a great education and play in front of 28,000 people? Ditto Georgetown and all they have to offer.
Great to see the ex Binghamton Head Coach back on the Georgetown bench where he started. What's Binghamton's current record? O and something the last time I looked. But at least they are doing things right lololololol! Interesting that people are still attending games up there in NY State. Maybe they are doing special promotions such as if Binghamton loses again by under 15 points, it's free Papa Johns pizza for everyone.
Watched St. Johns play against Cincinnati and it was sad. Why are they even playing Cincinnati at Madison Square Garden? They had a reported attendance of around 7000, but we all know that was most likely exaggerated since many stayed home to watch all the other great games on TV. I am telling you there is drama going on at SJU and I can feel it coming. Hints later! Again I hate that grunge look of the coaches who are dressed like they are in the Saudi Arabian Pro Am. Than it came to me. They are dressing as they have in solidarity to the illness of Head Coach Steve Lavin. And thats a real admirable thing to do. Just wish the team would play hard and smart for him as well! Just saying!
Caught Kansas and Baylor. Great game with many very good players from all over the country on both teams. Honestly when you recruit against schools like Baylor, you have to bring your A game, just as you had to do years ago against UNLV. You know I mean they are strong recruiters lol. Well the game was all Baylor until Kansas just took over. Kansas just might be my pick to sneak up on teams and win it all in March/April.
How about the Duke vs North Carolina game? What a game! What a finish! What players! What a Freshmen Duke has in Austin Rivers! Ummmm I wonder if they gave his Parents jobs in Durham? Oh thats right his Dad has a job! No need for a recap of the final score since ESPN has shown that final play 20 times an hour since midnight.
A game that really peaked my interest was the Seton Hall vs Rutgers game at The Rac. Looked like great atmosphere and the continuation of a wonderful natural rivalry. The Governor should have presented a special trophy to the winning team and media coverage should have been off the charts. I honestly love the way The RAC looks on TV. Bright with a wonderful floor with a great logo.
We all know that SHU won the game but I repeated just in case someone needs to know.
Recruiting These Days
Saw on a board where someone asks my feelings on recruiting now, compared to years ago. Well, let me give it to you straight with no chaser. Cheating was done in some sort of way or fashion across the board many years ago. Kids were signing and the next day the entire family moved into new homes. Kids were signing and getting summer jobs paying them more than people at the same place with Masters degrees were earning as regular employees. Kids were signing and the next week driving new cars to the prom that never had to be turned in. Cheating was rampant to say the least and almost everyone did it in one way or another. Just some schools acted as if they were above the law. Interesting thing is most people reading my blog know who those schools were. Even mid majors and low majors did things like fly Parents in for the visit, send sneakers to AAU programs of recruited kids, and even provided no show jobs or like one team did, gave them Janitor type jobs in the gym building that paid more than many of their Dads earned Grades were altered and kids took Mickey Mouse courses, and often received both financial aid and basketball scholarships. The perks from boosters were unreal before, during and sometimes after they graduated. Enforcement? PLEASE! Right in front of their eyes and everyone saw it.
How does this compare to today with the one and done studs on rosters? A lot of the same stuff but less automobiles nationwide but as much of the other perks. Rumor has it that one prominent school paid every new recruit between $75,000 and $150,000 to attend school. In fact I am sure most schools still are not 100 percent above board with the exception of a few with strong state affiliation. But recruitment remains challenging for most people. But as many say: The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Anyone else hear the USC Job will be attractive to quite a few people if it happens to open up? Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Stay tuned for that one. Southern California? LA? Who would be interested in such a job and such a nice area to reside? Stay tuned!
Could you believe FDU scheduled a TV game against Monmouth on a day with outstanding Varsity teams playing. Oops I forgot FDU is D1 and not D3. Or are they? Well I had to watch at least a bit and was pretty impressed despite them only having about 500 watching. OK I know they reported over 1000. Stll horrible to get 1000 to a D1 college basketball game. Heck I could go out and give away 1000 tickets (smile). Talent wise FDU really is not that bad. Based on the record I thought the starting line-up were a few guys from Union County and the rest from Passaic Community College.
Thats it but be on the lookout for what could be some major happenings before the season is concluded.
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