YouthConn, $ and Felons on Ice

WOW! UConn looked bad last night. In my last Hot Top 10, I asked where was the leader? Last night, he was no where to be found. UMass came out pumped, got some confidence and never got down as UConn took the lead. UConn justy looked like a team without a senior. Not scoring a point from about 4:30 remaining until under 1:00? Come on. And what the hell are they doing with the alley oops? They are getting SCHOOLED on the basics by an inferior team, they can't shoot (32%), they are getting out rebounded and they are trying alley oops? In traffic? You would think they would learn after the first two were total embarrassments, but no, they kept trying.

And the last play. Let me get this straight: you are tied, the two of the opponent's starters (including their star) are in serious foul trouble; 4 seconds left and you allow a two on one break away. I am sure Coach Calhoun was the picture of tranquility after that...

Unfortunately, Anderson and Brown are not cutting it as leaders. Boone has potential, but it comes down to Rudy Gay. If Gay can grow into a leadership role by March, UConn is in great shape. If not, they will be out by the Sweet 16.

BTW, Len Elmore is fast becoming my favorite color guy. He is kind of the anti-Dickie V, but damn does he get it right. Kudos to him.

***

Both Thew and I don't have enough Franklins to remember that he is on the $100 bill not the $20. But I'll take a dozen Wilsons and be happy.* Sports is clearly vying for your entertainment dollar and they know it. The fact is, there is so much of it that to distinguish yourself from the mass of sports entertainment you look for that extra. The NBA, NHL and MLS have it tough for a simple structural reason. These are games of constant movement and of infinite play sets. Take the MLS, a true soccer fan, knows that a 0-0 tie can be just as exciting and fun to watch as a 5-4 "slugfest." And no, increasing the scoring (say by eliminating offsides) would not help soccer.

Take the NBA, same team and flow principle as soccer, but high scoring. It really has not helped.Of course, tThe NBA suffers from a personnel issue. There are too many a**hole players getting too much attention. At five starters on a team versus a starting 14 for baseball (8 fielders, 4 pitchers, 2 relievers) and 22+ for football the spotlight will always be intense on the NBA players, who (you would think) have an added responsibility to behave. Who is the last "positive" NBA player you remember?

Hockey has another problem. (WARNING: that scream you are about to hear is from Thew.) Where the NBA can have spectacular dunks and alley oops to showboat, hockey needs the "fight." Go to a hockey game, the loudest (by far) the crowd gets is when a couple of players drop the gloves. I hear Thew saying "it has always been part of the game." Maybe, but it is encouraged by the league, players are sought as "enforcers," and we are now seeing sticks being used instead of fists. (Oh, for sure, there are the tearful regrets afterwards...if only they were sincere.)

I don't buy the "contact sport" crap either. There is no more of a contact sport than football and those guys can keep their cool. Checking is part of the game, hard checking is a better part of the game, if you can't deal with it - PLAY GOLF. (You could make an argument that the temperament of a 300 lb black man from Louisiana is much calmer that a 210 lb white guy from northern Minnesota, but I'd accuse you of stereotyping.) The fact is that thuggery is an encouraged part of hockey. And it has become necessary for the sport to survive...

*Woodrow Wilson was on the $100,000 gold certificate. It was never in general circulation, but was used for interbank transactions. Samuel Chase was on the largest general circulation bill, the $10,000. I'll take "Coins and Currency" for $1000, Alex.