How many seconds of beer ads did you count during March Madness?

Posted on Fri Apr 11, 2008 at 11:51:21 AM EST in College
More on: NCAA Tournament, beer, ads, angry (all tags)

Personally, we love beer. Can't get enough of the stuff. However, some people - namely over 100 college presidents and A.D.s - have a problem with the excessive beer commercials that ran during the NCAA Tournament. Now, while we love the suds, we really hate some of those stupid ads because A) they're stupid, and B) they usually get more air time than the games themselves. But these college bigwigs hate the commercials for a whole different set of reasons.

The college leaders - among them the top officials at Harvard, Abilene Christian and Georgia State - wrote a letter to NCAA President Myles Brand on Wednesday calling beer advertising "embarrassingly prominent" during tournament broadcasts. They asked the organization to reconsider its policies on alcohol advertising.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C., which helped organize the letter, accused the NCAA of violating its own policies that supposedly limit beer advertising to 60 seconds per hour and no more than 120 seconds per telecast. The center said it counted 200 seconds and 240 seconds of beer advertising during Saturday's two semifinal games, and 270 seconds during Monday night's final, when Kansas defeated Memphis 75-68 in overtime.

The NCAA bylaws do not allow any advertising for hard alcohol.

"Given the persistent problems caused by underage and excessive college drinking, much of it in the form of beer, we find it inconceivable that the NCAA's profiting from beer promotion during the telecasts of college basketball games comports with the best interests of higher education, sports, or student welfare," the letter said.

After condemning the excessive use of beer ads, the letter concluded by asking the NCAA to return to its routine practices of profiting off athletes.

Links:
[NewsObserver.com]: Colleges condemn NCAA tourney beer ads

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"Rock. Chalk. Championship."

Posted on Tue Apr 08, 2008 at 09:21:36 AM EST in College
More on: Kansas, Memphis, Mario Chalmers, One Shining Moment, college basketball, NCAA Tournament, national championship (all tags)

Hopefully you didn't go to bed and give up on the Jayhawks when they were in a nine-point hole with two minutes left in regulation - that's right, we said regulation - because if you did then you missed one of the greatest finishes to a championship game in tourney history. Mario Chalmers sank a phenomenal, incredible, spectacular, unbelievable (too much?) shot in the final moments to send the game into overtime, exploiting Memphis' free throw woes down the stretch to close the gap before running to a 75-68 extra inning win.

The Tigers are going to be kicking themselves over this one for a while. Joey Dorsey fouled out at the conclusion of regulation and the team missed four of their last five from the charity stripe in regulation. Not exactly the way they planned to cap off a season in which they won more games than any team in the history of college basketball.

While John Calipari might disagree, all in all, it was on of the greatest tournaments in a long time. And we've got One Shining Moment to prove it.

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Roy Williams begrudgingly faces his "second-favorite team"

Posted on Tue Apr 01, 2008 at 09:48:48 AM EST in College
More on: NCAA Tournament, Kansas, North Carolina, Roy Williams, Final Four (all tags)

We all remember Roy Williams' teary-eyed goodbye when he decided to leave Kansas for North Carolina in 2003. Well, it is time for Williams to say hello to his old club, even if he doesn't want to. The two teams are on a collision course and the head-on crash will occur this Saturday in the Final Four.

If I was ever going to play Kansas again, this is the only way I would want it to happen," Williams said Monday in a conference call. "The reason I say that I wouldn't schedule them is very easy for me: because they're my second-favorite college team. And those people gave me a chance. It's a place that I loved for 15 years.

"I never scheduled North Carolina when I was at Kansas because for those 15 years North Carolina was my second-favorite team. And just I have too many great memories to consider somebody a foe on the other end of the court. ...

"When I stood up in front of those kids at Kansas and told 'em that I was leaving, and the feeling that I had when I walked out of that room, that's a feeling I hope I never have again," Williams said Friday. "Because I felt like I was, I felt like I was dirty.

Dirty? We know you felt close to the team and it tore you up inside to walk out, but dirty? Sorry, but we just don't agree. You did what you felt was best and the rest is history. In our book, dirty is reserved for one man and one man only in the current world of college basketball - Billy "Dirty Ass" Donovan. As long as you never let yourself become that guy then you'll be just fine. Now, go out there and kick Kansas' butt all over San Antonio!

Links:
[NYTimes.com]: Williams Gets His Ideal Setting for the Game He Did Not Want

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Odds and Ends: Zab Judah perfects the backhanded bet

Posted on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 04:09:28 PM EST in Other Sports
More on: Zab Judah, Roy Jones Jr, hockey, mascot, NCAA Tournament, wrestler, high school, Pacman Jones, Odds and End (all tags)

Boxers are a confident breed and they just love to talk trash. Zab Judah is no different, so he decided to open his mouth and actually bet Shane Mosley a nice chunk of change that he would knock him out in their upcoming fight on May 31. Don't worry, the bout is going down in Las Vegas.

That's free money," Judah said. "If he's so confident and so much in shape, then why didn't he take it? The last time I put a $100,000 bet on the table was against Corey Spinks. What did I do? I knocked him out."

Mosley declined. But this is what's great about boxing. Any other sport and Judah's suspended; here, he's celebrated.

In other news...

[10,000 Takes]: Gopher blasts hockey ref.

[The Big Lead]: Like father, like son.

[BucStats.com]: Herm Edwards Is Bitter.

[Skate 2 Stick]: Gordie Howe is old!

[Charlotte.com]: So, how's your bracket holding up?

[The Professional Cheerleader Blog]: Magic cheerleaders do their magic on a trampoline.

[WISTV.com]: Another wrestler gone before his time.

[WSMV.com]: When Pacman and the Playmaker get together you know it's going to be good.

[KARE11.com]: High School assistant coach tries to have a beer party with his athletes.

[Freep.com]: 20% drop in NFL crime over last year. Just wait; Pacman's back.

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Top 10 Most Gruesome sports injuries: #7 Idong Ibok

Posted on Thu Apr 05, 2007 at 03:11:56 PM EST in College
More on: Idong Ibok, Spartans, NCAA Tournament, Top 10 Gruesome Injuries, video (all tags)

[Sportscolumn is running down the ten most gruesome sports injuries. Here's #7]

It was the first day of this year's NCAA tournament and the entire country was sitting in front of their TV's with brackets in hand as they drooled over the endless possibilities of Cinderella stories and last second heroics. But instead they got Idong Ibok flailing on the ground after dislocating his left elbow.

The accident happened when he tried to brace himself for a fall as Michigan State headed down court off a missed basket by Marquette.

It sounds painful enough but CBS went that extra mile and actually showed the television audience exactly what a dislocated elbow looks like. And it looks like a giant hole in your arm where an elbow used to be. At one point you can actually see him feeling around inside the dent, and by the screams he lets out, we're guessing he does not like what he feels.

Back to #8 | Forward to #6

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The worst opening day in tournament history

Posted on Fri Mar 16, 2007 at 11:09:36 AM EST in College
More on: NCAA Tournament, college basketball, Michigan State (all tags)

No buzzer beaters, no major upsets, nothing. That was the worst opening day of March Madness in a long long time. The only "upset" was that of Duke by VCU but most people thought that Duke's seeding was by reputation and they didn't deserve a 6 seed anyway. Sure, Xavier and Michigan State pulled off 9 over 8 upsets but that's pretty much a coin flip. So everyone drowned in chalk. Jason Campbell must be ecstatic.

For the rest of us, we got to celebrate a Duke loss and wait for Coach K's announcement that his back hurts after he loses a couple of players to the draft. Other than that, the only "did you see that?!?" moment was a gruesome injury to Idong Ibok. Ibok landed awkwardly, stuck out his hand to brace himself and dislocated his elbow. CBS must have show the replay 5 times and you can see his arm flailing about. It was reminiscent of Shaun Livingston's dislocated knee.

Here's the video of the play but it unfortunately (mercifully) cut short of the entire CBS coverage as they don't show his forearm flailing about. However, you do see the huge dent in his elbow where no huge dent should be. Ibok was back on the bench in the second half but his college career is over.

Yes, the fact that the higher seeds mostly won is an indication that the selection committee did their jobs (except for letting Stanford in and watching them get blown out) but that's not what makes the tournament great. If there are a lot of upsets, no one blames the committee, they just talk about what a great upset it was. Let's hope we get a better Day 2.

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Jason Campbell is drowning in chalk

Posted on Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 11:10:13 AM EST in NFL
More on: NCAA Tournament, Jason Campbell, Redskins, college basketball (all tags)

If you're a Redskins fan, do you want a QB that takes risks or do you want a QB that just manages the game. Now an NCAA bracket isn't a personality test but according to Jason Campbell's bracket, he might be the biggest...er.. fraidy cat in the NFL. Look at this thing.

All four 1 seeds in the Final Four. 7 out of 8 1-2 seeds in the Elite Eight. (The exception is Duke... go figure.) And his sweet sixteen has 12 of the 16 overall top seeds. This is a travesty. You shouldn't even be allowed to touch a bracket if you're gonna go this route. His eventual champion? North Carolina of course.

Imagine Jason Campbell in the playoffs if the Redskins don't get the #1 seed. "Oh, we're a lower seed, we've got no shot."

Links:
[AOL Sports]: Blog Bet: Would You Take the 1-Seeds vs. the Field?

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Top 10 NCAA Buzzer Beaters Video

Posted on Thu Mar 15, 2007 at 10:49:25 AM EST in College
More on: video, YouTube, ESPN, NCAA Tournament, college basketball (all tags)

Buzzer beaters are the best part of the NCAA tournament. Here's ESPN'S take on the top 10 NCAA Tournament buzzer beaters of all time. You don't really even have to watch to know who #1 is going to be. (Hint: a teammate cries like a little girl.)

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Odds and Ends: A true American hero

Posted on Tue Mar 13, 2007 at 05:59:45 PM EST in College
More on: gambling, college basketball, wrestling, NCAA Tournament, Warriors, NBA (all tags)

Who runs a $22 office pool?

Michigan state representative Kim Meltzer wants to decriminalize NCAA tournament pools because "what makes March Madness unique is that all kinds of people and sports fans of all levels fill out their brackets and enjoy the tournament. It's a crime we consider that a crime, and I want to change it."

Bravo Kim! Bravo! Any pool that's $20 or less would be legal. Although nobody ever gets prosecuted over an office pool, it shouldn't be illegal to throw your money away to the guy who just moved here from Bangladesh and is picking teams based on mascots. Hell, the office pool is probably the only chance sports geeks get a chance to talk to that cute girl in marketing. God Bless America and the bracket!

In other news...

[Sign On San Diego]: Adonal Foyle is now free to make fun of Canadians

[WrestleZone]: When your false teeth come flying out during a match, you might want to stop wrestling

[Nashville City Paper]: Even Pacman Jones knows he's in a heap of trouble

[The Offside]: Sometimes you just gotta check the ol' undercarriage

[The Big Lead]: Bill Belichick won't have to testify for banging Sharon Shenocca

[10,000 Takes]: Yeah but where are the strippers?

And finally, we hope you signed up for March Madness On Demand cause it's gonna be crazy this Thursday. Here's a list of the announcer schedules. Sadly, one of the most intriguing Cinderalla matchups (Butler/ODU) has Kevin Harlan on the mic.

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2007 NCAA Tournament All-Names Team

Posted on Mon Mar 12, 2007 at 02:00:40 PM EST in College
More on: NCAA Tournament, college basketball, juvenile (all tags)

Once again folks, it's time for our journey back into the 3rd grade where we make fun of people's names and secretly wish we had others. The tournament every year is filled with great names. This year we have a bunch of celebrities in Charles Bronson (Xavier), Chris Tucker (VA Tech) and Michael Knight (Albany and Knight Industries Two Thousand). Will any of this year's All-Names Team be inducted into the God Shammgod Hall of Fame? Only time will tell.

1st Team
C: Idong Ibok, Michigan State: Sorry ladies, this isn't the ipod attachment you were looking for.
F: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, UCLA: Making his way up to 1st team this year with the coolest name in the NCAAs.
F: Taj Finger, Stanford: "...and Finger bangs the boards!"
G: Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes, Gonzaga: It's tough to be named Marie in the tourney.
G: Mario "Superintendent" Chalmers, Kansas: The greatest pop culture nickname in tournament history.

2nd Team
C: Zach Peacock, Georgia Tech: Completely juvenile selection that we're not touching with a ten foot pole or anything else for that matter.
F: Jason Love, Xavier: Is that his porn name?
F: Obie Nwadike, Central Conn State: Gotta love a name that reminds us of little Ron Howard but on a 6'4" black guy
G: Max Paulhus Gosselin, Davidson: Didn't he play Zack Morris on Saved by the Bell?
G: Matt Coward, VCU: That's a tough last name come crunch time.

Honorable Mention: Octavious Spann, Georgetown; Thaddeus Young, Georgia Tech; Major Wingate, Tennessee; Rome Sanders, Florida A&M; Chamberlain Oguchi, Oregon; Alex Moosmann, Miami (Ohio).

Did we leave anyone out?

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